Daily Life gone Haywire
by Grace of a Killer
Summary: A boy and his mother join in the Inter-species Exchange Program, turning what was once a fairly average home into a place of nonsense like none the poor boy has dealt with before. Join Kuroda Kazuma as he embarks on a journey he never asked for as he adapts to life with Monster Girls. *M Rating, just to be on the safe side*
1. Chapter 1

My world was black, but I could hear birds chirping, signalling that I should probably be waking up now...This I was used to, but my eyes opened to a situation that wasn't nearly as common.

I bit my lower lip as I stared at a resting, familiar face, I had tried to move my arms but found that both my arms and legs weren't responding. This intruder in my bed had long, black hair with wolf-like ears sticking out of the sides of her head, her amethyst eyes were presently shut, behind her smile were rows of sharp teeth that one wouldn't expect at first glance, her body was similar to that of a human woman, aside from the gills along the sides of her body, I could feel her pressed against me through her black nightgown, but around her stomach her similarity towards humans all but vanished...smooth fur covered her waist and stomach, wrapping around like a sash or skirt, but beyond that point were not legs, but eight tentacles, which were presently squeezing us together.

I tried my best to wiggle out of the Scylla's grasp, but the suction cups of her tentacles, along with the strength of the tentacles themselves, had held me in place, I could feel my cheeks growing warm as her breath tickled my neck. biting my lip, I debated whether or not I should wake her up, but eventually my morning side told me it was now or never, "Oi, Scilia?" I started, trying not to be loud enough to startle her, "Hey, wake up please."

Scilia, in response, shook a little mumbling as her eyes opened, her rectangular pupils redirecting themselves to my face as she slowly regained her consciousness. The sleepy Scylla slowly blinked, a smile coming to her tired face, "Hey Dear, good morning.~" she said in a strained voice, her eyes halfway open and a blush on her face.

Trying my hardest to forget our proximity, I smiled back, "Hey Scilia, good morning..." I started, hoping she'd catch on...After what felt like a minute she almost went back to sleep, causing me to take action, "W-Wait, you just woke up!" I stated in a panic.

Scilia yawned before puffing out her cheeks, a small frown on her face, "Yeah...After you woke me up..."

Resisting the urge to try and facepalm, I let out a sigh before doing my best attempt at a smile, "Scilia...What are you doing in my bed?" I asked, my voice strained from physical and mental exhaustion.

She blinked, pausing for a moment, "Hmm~...Oh yeah-" she started, a smile coming back to her face as she planted a fist against her open palm, "I couldn't sleep last night, so I made my way to your room and decided to cuddle with you and see if it'd help." she stated, a blush on her face.

Blinking, we stared at each other as silence befell us once again. Clearing my throat, I decided to ask the big question, "Uh, okay, but can you let me go now that it's morning? I kinda have stuff to do, like make breakfast..."

Scilia blinked and brought her left hand to her face, pressing her index finger to her cheek as though she was deep in thought about something. I soon found myself releasing a shocked gasp as she shrugged, wrapping her arms and tentacles around me tighter before drifting back into sleep, "Sorry Dear, i'm still tired~..." she muttered as she nuzzled my collar.

I sat there in silence, or moderate silence at least given Scilia's breathing, but that didn't change the fact that I was stuck staring up at the ceiling for the next hour or so...I blinked before releasing a sigh, "How did I get myself into this mess?" I asked, my voice strained from pressure being exerted on my slim frame.

* * *

:: **Begin Flashback!** ::

I let out a yawn as I sat up in my bed, greeted by the sound of birds chirping beyond the window, which was blocked by a black curtain. My day began like any other, I put on my glasses, brushed my teeth, brushed my hair, showered...You know, the basics.

As I completed my daily routine I let out the breathe I was holding as I stared into the mirror hung above my bed, staring back at me was a slim boy with pale skin, his long, brown hair was a dark shade and fell halfway down his back, his eyes matched his hair with almost the exact same color, they were unhindered by his bangs, which were pulled behind his ears and pressed down with the limbs of his rectangular glasses, despite his straight, feminine hair, his cheeks were obscured by bushy sideburns, he wore a white, baggy shirt with a reaper emblem over his skeletal frame, black, baggy pants, ant white socks.

I smiled a little at my reflection, which returned it in kind...This smile didn't last long, "Kuro-chan, get your ass down here!" a woman's voice, causing my eyes to go half-lidded as my small smile became a small frown.

Letting another sigh escape my lips I made the way to the door of my room and slowly descended the steps, eventually finding my mother in the room left of the stairs, the Kitchen, sitting at the table with breakfast ready, a coffee mug pressed to her lips.

I slowly approached the table, my mother was a tall woman with an athletic frame, her pale skin contrasted well with her long, black hair, her brown eyes were half closed, but that's how they typically were whether she was tired or not, she wore a black shirt under a red apron, a black skirt emerged from the apron, covering her down to her knees, aside from that she wore black boots that went up to her knees.

As I pulled up a chair she did her best to smile, due to the difficulty it was confirmed that she was tired, "Mornin'." she started, "Sleep well?"

I dryly chuckled, "As well as ever." I responded, doing my best to perk up, "But we both know i'm not a morning person." I stated, looking down at the pancakes on my plate, smiling a little as the warmth cheered me up, "Buut...I guess pancakes make up for it." I stated.

My mother chuckled, "You really are like your father...Don't tell me you're a tsundere too." she asked as she dug into her own food.

I frowned, "Yeah right, i'm surprised you even know what a tsundere is." I stated in a mild tone of disbelief, my eyes venturing to a newspaper layed off to the side. Blinking, my curiosity stated to raise, it was on a page about Liminals, "Hey...What are you reading?"

Mom paused for a moment before her eyes darted to the paper, "Oh, this?" she asked, "I got bored...Apparently that Inter-Species Exchange Program's being extended, now people can offer to take them in for awhile..." she stated in a bored sounding voice, but I could see a sparkle in her eyes. Mom may not be good at showing her feelings, but I knew that she loved other cultures, that was one of the reasons why she had gone to America before, and consequentially met my father...Who was no longer here...Point is that it wasn't shocking that she had taken an interest in Liminals, but i'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little bit interested...I mean, I had a friend who was hosting for an Orc, the two get along pretty well surprisingly...Then again they're both perverts so I guess I can see why.

I let out an unconscious sigh, *I need new friends...* I thought to myself as I recalled their mischief, which almost distracted me from the small lump under one of the pancakes. I blinked as I poked it before lifting the top one, I was expecting to find jam or jelly on the other side, but my eyes widened when they were greeted by a small, cat-shaped blob of dough, causing my eyes to sparkle, "S-So cute..." I whispered to myself, but I snapped out of it when I realized Mom was laughing.

Hastefully, I bit into the pancake and the blob of dough inside, revealing that the grape-flavored jam was inside it to whole time, all the while shooting a glare at my snickering mother.

With another sip of coffee she shot me a knowing grin, "Aw, what's wrong? Afraid to show you're cute side?" she asked in a teasing manner.

I growled, flailing my arms in the air, "I thought I asked you to quit doing that, what if a friend saw, my reputation would be ruined!" I barked, but she only chuckled in response, leaving me to simmer with my cheeks puffed out, "So are you actually considering letting a Liminal stay here?" I asked, getting back on topic, "I mean, I don't really have anything against it, and it's your house anyway..." I muttered.

Mom froze, staring at me, considering her next words carefully, "Well...It's a good thing that you're okay with it..." she stated hesitantly.

I blinked, letting her words sink in, a blank expression on my face, "...Come again?"

Mom looked away for a moment, "...I was going to tell you later...But I already volunteered for the program." she then looked back to me, "Within two days there'll be a third person living here, surprise."

With this a wave of awkward silence swept through the house, neither of us breaking eye contact.

:: **Flashback End!** ::

* * *

I Stared at the ceiling with a blank expression, "Oh yeah...That's how..." I started quietly, really hoping Mom doesn't find out this is happening. It didn't really explain why Scilia was doing something like this, but I figure that's a tale for another time.

Puffing out my cheeks in frustration, I slowly moved my right hand to her side, deciding to take drastic measures as I wriggled my fingers against her fur, provoking a response as her body started to shake. Slowly she started to giggle and then laugh uncontrollably, her tentacles squirming as I tickled her, "D-Dear! S-Stop that! Hahah!~" she managed to demand between bouts of laughter.

I shifted beneath her loosened gaze, "I'll stop once i'm free!" she gasped as I slid out from her side and onto the ground, landing on all fours like a cat as I let out a sigh of relief, "Geez, you know I don't like hugs..." I stated, rotating my shoulders as I shot a tired gaze at her.

She was sprawled out on the bed, laying above the blankets, had I not been used to this sight by now I might have had a nosebleed or averted my eyes, but I was an adult now, there were worse images out there...

Scilia groaned in a tired fashion as she rolled onto her front and propped her head up with the palms of her hands, her elbows against the bed and framing her breasts, which were of moderate size, likely B cups, "Ugh...You're no fun, Dear..." she stated in lax annoyance, her cheeks puffing up in frustration, "It's not like I do this all the time."

I tilted my head, searching my memory to confirm this...Honestly, I couldn't deny it, she didn't do this often, and I can't say I was completely against it...But it's like five in the morning...

I sighed, "True, but i'm not a morning person..." I stated, trying my best to give her a lighthearted smile, "We should really get you a plushy or something, maybe that'd help..." I stated, rubbing the back of my head.

Scilia smiled, "That'd be nice, but it wouldn't be as nice as cuddling with my Deary.~" she stated, narrowing her eyes as she shot me a mischievous grin that sent a chill down my spine.

I gulped, taking a step back as I watched her tentacles start to move, if I didn't diffuse the situation fast I knew what would happen. Laughing to myself nervously, I scratched the back of my head, "Hehe...About that..." I started, but as she blinked, waiting for me to continue, I heard her gasp as I took off as fast as I could, "Igottagodosomething!" I shouted as I jumped through the door frame, narrowly escaping a tentacle that had flew towards me.

"D-Deary! Wait!~" she shouted, it sounded rather cute but the consequences of returning to that room were frankly not worth it so early in the day...

Planting my forehead against the wall of the hallway, I let out a sigh of relief as I heard a snore from inside my room, implying that she managed to fall back to sleep. Slowly moving back to the door and looking inside, I could see that she had managed to fall asleep as she was crawling towards the door, allowing me to walk in, rubbing my forehead with my arm, *Thanks god that Scylla are typically heavy sleepers...* I thought to myself as I stood next to her.

I turned my head to the door, I wanted to leave so I could get everyone's breakfast ready...But...Turning my head back to Scilia, I felt bad about letting her sleep on the floor...

Sighing to myself I slowly crouched down next to her, "It's too early for this shit..." I whispered to myself as I flipped her onto her back and lifted her up, which was especially difficult given her mass compared to my lack of muscle. Struggling as I did, I slowly approached my bed and layed her on top of it, slowly pulling the covers over her body, also thanking that Scylla didn't need to stay in water all the time, otherwise I would have to carry her all the way to her room, which I frankly wouldn't be able to do. As I turned to leave I couldn't help but turn back towards her, observing the smile on her face as she snuggled a large pillow I had layed beside her, "Sweet dreams..." I whispered, giving a strained smile as I got into my daily routine.

* * *

:: **Later** ::

I sat at the table with Mother and another woman, I knew her as our Coordinator. She had a build that could only be compared to a wasp, having broad hips but her stomach was relatively thin, her white skin almost seemed to shine in the light, her short, blonde hair was held up in a small small ponytail by a black back of sorts with a clip shaped to resemble a black cat, it's green eyes replaced with literal emeralds, her green eyes seemed to glow through the sunglasses that she wore, and a tear-shaped birthmark was perfectly noticeable on her left cheek, she wore a black, business-type suit over a white dress-shirt, a red ties ran the length of her frame until it ended just above her bellybutton, her black pants and shoes were rather plain though.

she smiled, "Sorry for the surprise visit, but I don't have much time today, nor can I afford to slack off." she stated, locking her fingers together, "Ms. Kazuma, Mr. Kazuma, I came by to see how you two feel about Scilia now that you've had a week to adapt to life with her."

Mom blinked, a blank expression, "Weren't you supposed to do this five days after the day you dropped her off?" she asked in a deadpan manner, causing Ms. Hamano to flinch.

She scratched the back of her head as she looked away with a mischievous smile that could only be described as cat-like, "Well, my workload is rather expansive, especially when you're stuck with a slacker for a partner..." she stated, "Honestly, she's eating up MY free days..."

Mom nodded knowingly, "Ah, sounds rough." despite her empty tone she really was attempting to be sympathetic towards Hamano, "But in all honestly I don't have a problem, i've learned a lot about Scilia and Scylla in general, and she hasn't caused us any trouble." she admitted honestly.

I nodded, "She's cool, besides, she helps out around here." I stated with a shrug, not giving the full extent of my impressions of her.

Hamano nodded, still smiling, "I see..." she started, gazing at me, "Is that **all** you have to say about her?~" she asked teasingly.

Forming a neutral expression, I stared back at her, "If you're wondering if I broke that rule, no, I don't even know how **that** would work with a Scylla." I stated honestly, "Besides, you do realize my chances of getting with any girl at all are incredibly slim, same species or not, right?" I asked, using my right hand to highlight my frame and face as if to emphasize my lack of appeal.

Hamano hummed, "You're no fun, I was trying to tease you." she admitted with a wink, "But I still am required to ask, whether it's believable or not."

I chuckled, "What's with people and saying i'm no fun?" I asked quietly, realizing just how repetitive that phrase has been in my life, it was like a running gag or something.

Before anybody could answer this, we were interrupted by a yawn, which caused our heads to turn towards the stairs to see the source of it. Standing at the bottom of the flight was Scilia, who was leaning against the frame of the door, apparently having came down quietly enough for us to have not noticed seeing as she had changed into her actual clothes, which consisted of a brown jacket that was at least a size too big for her, a black, button-up shirt, and a black skirt that hid her fur, as well as the origin point of her tentacles, which were dragging her across the floor in a way one would assume a starfish uses to get around.

Hamano smiled at her kindly, "Ah, Scilia, perfect timing." she stated, clapping her hands together.

Scilia smiled as she slowly approached the table, taking a seat next to me and using her tentacles to pull my chair closer to hers, I bit my lower lip as I felt a tug as I was forcibly made to rub shoulders with her, making Hamano's eyebrow raise and my mother sigh, "Oh? for what?" she asked innocently, ignoring my attempts to escape her grasp.

Hamano chuckled, "Well, I was going to ask you if you like it here, but I think I got my answer."

Scilia's head rubbed against mine, "Ms. Kazuma is an amazing woman, she's really nice and talks to me about Japan and Liminals, and my Dear Kuroda is so considerate and nice to me, I love it here.~" she stated, getting a smile from my mother and a nervous chuckle from me.

The Coordinator grinned, "Good to hear, i'm glad your hosts are so accepting of you." she stated, shooting a gaze at me, likely recalling my initial reaction.

* * *

:: **Flashback Begin!** ::

I visibly flinched as the door opened, staring at this event from the bottom of the staircase. Mother had answered the door to reveal Hamano, who we had met a few days back, but the Scylla at her side was what surprised me.

Mother seemed to be taking this very well, I however was wide eyed for a moment until Hamano's locked onto mine as she gauged my reaction, her smile becoming a frown as I looked away. I didn't want to be rude, I thought I was relatively prepared for this, but not only was the Liminal that was staying here a girl, but one of the more intimidating species.

"Kuro-chan, stop being rude and get over here." Mother demanded, snapping me out of my thoughts as I hesitantly approached.

I stared at the Scylla's face, she stared at mine, her smile replaced with a nervous frown, "Uh...N-Nice to meet you..." I stammered, not sure how to best react.

::Flashback End::

* * *

I bit my lower lip as my gaze fell to the floor, disappointed by my initial self, *Yeah...I guess that was a pretty bad first impression.* I mentally hissed to myself. The first two days had been the worst, we were both rather difficult, but I decided to take initiative and get to know her...I think I made up for my initial reaction.

Hamano slowly stood up, "Well, seeing that you're happy here, I suppose my work's done for now." she stated with a stretch as she made for the door, but as she reached it, she turn her head a little, but didn't look over her shoulder, "But i'll be dropping by occasionally, just to make sure no rules get broken." I blinked, feeling that was directed at me, "Ciao.~"

And with that she was out the door, leaving us in relative silence...At least until Mom got up, "Well, I need to get to work." she started, her voice quiet, "I trust you two can watch the house?" she asked as she walked over to a chair with a jacket tied to it.

I tilted my head, "You ask that like we haven't been used to this for a week by now..."

Scilia nodded happily, "Don't worry, you can count on us Mei-Sama!~" she said excitedly, I could feel her tentacles wrap tighter around me, causing me to gulp.

With this she nodded as she tied her coat around her neck by her sleeves, wearing it like a cape, "Alright, i'll see you both later." she stated trustingly as she made her way out...

Leaving me and Scilia alone...

...I turned my head to see a mischievous smile on her face, one of her fangs standing out, "Now we're all alone Dear~..."

I blinked, turning my head towards the table to see my morning coffee sitting there, *Caffeine give me strength...* I pleaded as I reached for it between the tentacles and took a sip, submitting to the hug I was now trapped in, realizing that struggling was futile.

* * *

::: **Chapter End!** :::

Yay, first chapter! xD

Haven't been writing on Fanfiction in forever, but when I saw Monster Musume was an anime I just had to get back into the swing of things. xD

Anyway, this is mainly about OCs, but Darling-Kun still exists, rest assured. *Though I suppose that was fairly obvious given certain dialogue* Anyway, next chapter's still probably going to revolve around Scilia, there's still much that needs to be explained about her relationship with Kuroda after all, so I hope to see you all there. :3

I hope you enjoyed, have a great day. :3


	2. Chapter 2

:: **Past** ::

I sat across from Scilia at the table, biting my lower lip as I recognized the awkward silence, she was looking down, an obvious frown on her face...Likely she knew just how difficult this was for me, but I couldn't help but feel like a dick...I mean, for the past two days since she arrived I had basically been avoiding her, staying up in my room or hanging out with friends.

I suppose the hardest part to come to terms with is that I was hanging out with a male Orc living with my friend and not a female Scylla that was staying under the same roof as me, and oddly enough I had adapted to the Orc just fine.

I cleared my throat, causing her to look up, her eyes half-lidded. Swallowing my nervousness, I decided that this had gone on long enough, "Uh...So Scilia, how have things been going?" I started, locking my fingers together as I attempted to start a conversation with her, trying my hardest to keep my eyes locked on hers.

Scilia raised an eyebrow, "Fine...Why do you care?" she asked quietly, likely suspecting something.

I narrowed my eyes, "What, I can't try to be nice?" I asked, hoping that this would spark a response, and it did, her eyebrow raising higher as she narrowed her own eyes, her mouth going from a frown to a flat line that said 'I'm not buying it'. Sighing to myself, I thought over what to say next in my head, "Look, I just feel like...I may not have been the most accepting person the past two days, I admit it, but I honestly do want to try and get to know you like Mom has." I stated, trying my best to make a straight face.

Scilia blinked, likely considering whether or not I was being genuine, "Oh yeah, can you prove that?" she asked in something of an accusing manner.

I titled my head, a confused expression plastered on my face, "H-How would I prove it? I'm trying to converse and it's not going anywhere."

Scilia shook her head, "What I mean is try holding a conversation on my turf, it'd at least show that you trust me."

As she stated this I could feel the color drain from my face, mainly because I never learned to swim so I had a fear of deep water. There was a shallow section in the pool but that didn't make me any more comfortable, and not just because we had a Scylla in the pool...

I bit my lip as I realized that there was no escaping this if I wanted to try clearing this obstacle, hesitantly I nodded.

* * *

Scilia blinked at me, her head sticking out of the water, "So, green swimming trunks?"

I shot a glare at her as I stood in the shallow section of the pool, my arms crossed over my chest with the water directly below them, "G-Green's my favorite color, what about it?" I asked, resisting the urge to flinch as a tentacle brushed against my leg.

I frowned as silence shadowed us once again, Scilia eventually narrowing her eyes at me, "Well? We're in a pool, why are you just standing way over there?" she asked, clearly not impressed by the fact I seemingly refused to approach her.

I could feel my cheeks heat up as I looked away, "I...Can't swim." I admitted, not impressed with my own lack of skills as well.

Scilia frowned, pausing for a moment, "You know...If you're going to lie then you should just leave." she stated in a frustrated tone.

I jumped, my arms no longer crossed, "W-What, i'm not lying, why would I need to?" I asked, taken aback by her disbelief.

Scilia's expression turned sour, "Because you don't want to come near me, you've made it clearly obvious since the day I arrived!" she stated, clearly angered.

I glared at her, "A-And I was trying to fix that, I want to talk to you!"

Clearly not buying it, her head turned away from me, "Well I don't want to talk to you." she hissed as she dove into the deeper part of the pool.

It was at that moment I felt something snap, i'm not sure entirely what it was, but glaring at her vanishing figure, I sighed, "...You don't believe me, huh?" I asked nobody in particular as I approached the border, taking one last breath before kicking off. I attempted to position myself in a way that should help me float, but it only resulted in my immediate sinking.

I held my mouth shut tight as I squinted my eyes, trying to see my surroundings without letting too much of the water irritate them, bubbles occasionally escaped my nose. My eyes twitched as I could feel the color draining from my face, I couldn't tell if Scilia was watching but I reached for my neck and looked towards the surface of the water before realizing I had kicked off too far into the deep end, mentally swearing to myself, I found myself crawling underwater towards the shallow end, my vision blurring until I felt something wrap tightly around me and pull me upwards.

As my head broke the surface of the water I gasped for air, looking over my shoulder to see Scilia with an expression I hadn't seen on her face before, it was one of genuine worry, "H-Hey, why'd you do that idiot!?" she asked in a panicked tone, "You could've killed yourself!"

Coughing up a bit of water, I nodded, "Told you(Cough)I couldn't swim..." I stated, in a matter-of-fact tone, coughing up the last bit of water, "Thanks for the save by the way, any longer down there and i'd probably have water in my lungs."

It was just now that we realized our proximity, more specifically how her chests were pressed against my back, our faces had both turned a shade of red with mine being darker due to my lack of experience with the opposite gender.

Trying my best to hide the panic in my tone, I leaned forwards so her breasts would no longer be at my back, "A-Anyway! I would like to continue talking, but if you'd like to drop me off at the shallow section, that'd be pretty cool too!" I shouted, stuttering as I tried to shut out my surroundings, especially given that I was still out in the deeper part of the pool.

* * *

"Surprise!~" Scilia and I bounced out of the corners of both my mother's eyes as she stared, blinking out of confusion. Scilia and I smiled at her, mine being the typical small one, Scilia's being more like a grin, given that she wasn't afraid to act normally anymore, she had become much more bold and happy.

On the table behind us was a large cake, it was a Banana Pudding Cake, mainly because Scilia couldn't eat chocolate...Learn something new every day, huh? ribbons were strung from the roof and a banner reading 'Happy Birthday' stretched across the top of the kitchen, thus the cause for celebration was obvious.

Mom's head tilted, "Thanks for doing this you two, i'm happy and all...But I prefer not to think about age..." she stated, well aware that she was thirty years old.

I slid my glasses back into place, crossing my arms behind my back, "No need to worry, I didn't put candles on the ca-"

Mom's eyes sparkled almost immediately as she zoomed past us quicker than our eyes could detect, when we turned to look at her we saw that she already had a large slice and a cup of coffee, sitting in her typical spot, "Did I mention how much I love you two?"

Scilia smiled as she pulled herself to the table, using her tentacles to drag herself to her chair, I was still chuckling at Mom's reaction as I made my way to my own chair. Before long we had finished with the cake, for now anyway, as mother stood up, smiling gently, "Thanks you two, the cake was great." she stated as she made her way to her jacket, "Sorry that I have to take off so early Scilia, I know how much you wanted to look around the city." Mom stated apologetically, looking over her shoulder.

Scilia shook her head, "Don't worry about it, we can do it some other day." she stated, smiling back.

Mom blinked, thinking about it, until her eyes moved towards my direction, the two of us shared a knowing stare for a moment, Scilia looking between us in confusion. Eventually I sighed and nodded, "Yeah, I can show her around." I stated.

Scilia's head tilted as she tried to wrap her mind around the mental conversation that had apparently taken place, Mom nodded with a smile, "Good, you'll find the wheelchair in the living room." she stated, causing both of our heads to tilt, "The sidewalk can get warm, and Scilia moves rather slowly on land, we were provided a wheelchair to prevent her from becoming fried octopus during a walk through town."

Both of us nodded, "Makes sense." we both conceded, earning a smile from Mother as she made her way out.

"Well, have fun with that and stay safe."

With these parting words the door closed, I looked to Scilia to see an excited gleam in her eyes. Apparently she was more excited to go out than I had originally expected, which caused me to smile back, secretly hoping we didn't run into anyone I knew, otherwise I may have explaining to do.

"So, ready to head out?" I asked, wondering if she wanted to just get it out of the way.

She nodded in a rather giddy fashion before getting out of the chair and dragging herself to the living room with her tentacles, as I got there I came in to see that she was struggling to get comfortable. Blinking to myself, I ran into the laundry room and brought her a cushion. She blinked as she stared at it, "What's this for?"

I blinked, shrugging, "You looked uncomfortable, so I figured i'd try and help."

Grinning with her shark-like teeth, she took the cushion from my hands and planted it under her rear, but I noticed her cheeks brightening a little as she smiled at me, "Thank you Kuro-Kun."

I bit my lip as I massaged my chest, feeling as though I just got shot or something, "No problem."

* * *

I groaned as I pushed Scilia's wheelchair, ignoring the gazes from the passerbys, "Look, i'm not complaining about pushing you around, I just wish it wasn't so humid." I stated, my eyes squinting as we were no longer protected by the shade of a building, "How can you stand it, aren't Scylla water-based?" I asked, not believing how the heat wasn't effecting her.

Scilia shot me a grin over her shoulder, "Scylla have water sacks so we can store water, i'm perfectly hydrated." she stated in a proud manner.

I could feel my mouth flat-line, "Lucky..."

As we proceeded through the city, taking in the sites, I soon realized I had made a terrible mistake as an arm slung around my neck and pulled me downwards. Scilia and I looked towards the source of this arm, which belonged to a slim, short, pale girl with black hair held in a ponytail, glasses over her ocean-blue eyes, she wore a black shirt, blue shorts, and black boots...And if you were wondering, yes, she was flat as a chalkboard.

The girl smiled at me, "Kuro-Kun, just the guy I was looking for!~" she stated in an exaggerated manner, like she was in the mafia or something, "Listen friend, I just dropped by to tell ya' I was thankful for that favor i the past, so if you need anything, just call, yeah? Yeah!" she exclaimed happily, patting my back rather animatedly before running off.

I blinked and sighed, taking in Scilia's confused expression, "Ugh...Dammit Grace..."

Scilia tilted her head, one of her eyes going half-lidded, "Grace? Was that one of your friends?" she asked in an inquisitive manner, not believing it possible.

I nodded as I continued to push her wheelchair, "Yeah...I met her a year or two ago when she moved to Japan from America, and ever since then trouble's been following me." I stated, trying not to sound too upset, "Grace is an odd one, but she's good at making stuff happen around here somehow...And she's about as normal as the rest of my friends." I admitting, hoping to get off this topic, "So, we've been just about everywhere I can think of, anywhere else you want to go?"

Scilia looked around, likely looking at stores and such, but occasionally she watched people as we passed them, such as a couple was eating ice cream cones on the nearby benches, "Hmm...I dunno, I think I want to head back." she admitted, "But it's a little warm, can we get ice cream on the wa-"

Her question was cut off as her ears perked up, honing in on the voices from some of the passerbys, I had pretended not to notice, but I think this was the first time during this trip that she had been paying attention, "Shouldn't that thing be in the water?" some woman whispered, yet still saying it aloud.

The man she was next to just looked away, "It definitely belongs there..." he muttered as the the woman continued to stare.

Scilia's ears drooped down and her eyes narrowed, she clearly didn't like it but she knew there would be people like this. I sighed, "They aren't worth it..." I stated quietly, not sure whether I was telling this to myself or Scilia.

"And what about that poor guy, it must be embarrassing to have to be seen with her." the woman started up again.

"Well he doesn't look happy, not hard to imagine why."

With this my eyes went half-lidded, Scilia was about to say something but stopped when I turned my head towards them, "And what right do you have to say that?" I asked quietly, I could see heads turning as I let go of Scilia's wheelchair and let my arms fall to my sides, "Whether you hate Scylla alone or Liminals in general, either way you're proving just how block-headed you are." I stated coldly.

They had both seemed to be taken aback by my sudden verbal assault, I could see heads turning as I walked up to the both of them.

"Furthermore, Scilia isn't an 'it' she's a damned Living Being just as you and I, and while I may have been as ignorant as you at one point, the difference is that I got the fuck over it and adapted, so if you could pull up your big boy panties and grow up, that'd be fantastic." I stated with a sneer as I waited for them to try defending themselves, but I only got silence in return. I sighed as I turned around to head back to Scilia, "So before you judge others on their appearance or species, how about you look in the mirror..." I hissed as I left the stunned couple.

I sighed as I started pushing Scilia again, who was looking at me over her shoulder with a confused expression, "Kuro-kun, you didn't have to do that." she seemed genuinely confused, not sure what to make of everything she had just heard.

I paused for a moment, trying to think of why I snapped like that...Sure she was my friend, I hated racism in general, and I hated people talking trash behind my back...But honestly, I lucked out, if the guy was stronger then he probably wouldn't have been afraid to knock my lights out, and I don't think i'd be able to fight back, nor would Scilia be legally capable of helping me...

I shrugged, a small smile on my face, "Eh...I'm used to making people feel like shit, so I figured if I could give them a verbal lashing and spare you the trouble...Why not?" I stated in a manner as genuine as my could voice could reach, "Although, they pissed us both off, so you could call it revenge."

Scilia blinked, a blush spreading across her cheeks as a genuine smile came to her face, "Well, whatever it was-" she started, a tentacle wrapping around my waist as a kind of hug, "Thank you, Dear."

My eyes temporarily doubled in size as my brain received the last word of that sentence, "D-Dear!?" I asked in a state of utter confusion.

* * *

:: **Present** ::

I sighed as I flopped down into the couch in the living room, causing a light thud to break the silence of the room, "Oh yeah, so that's how it happened..." I muttered to myself, returning to the past events. After that trip we just started hanging out and it somehow reached the point it is now, "I wish she didn't copy that 'Dear' thing off the couple she was watching..." I stated as I shook my head.

Reaching for the remote, I was about to turn on the television when I suddenly felt something wrap around my arm, I gasped as I was ripped from the couch into a hug from a certain Scylla, "Hey Dear?" Scilia started, "Since you've been so nice to me, I was wondering if I could do something nice for you." she had a smile on her face, her cheeks a faint red color.

I blinked, tilting my head, "Where did this come from?" I asked, trying to figure out why she suddenly wanted to do something for me.

Scilia winked, "From my heart of course."

I froze for a moment, my face going straight, *Good thing i'm not lactose intolerant, because that was cheesy as hell...* I thought to myself. Realizing she wasn't likely to let go until I agreed, I shrugged, "I dunno, teach me how to swim maybe?" I suggested, not entirely sure I liked my suggestion but feeling it was too late to turn back.

Scilia nodded happily pulling me tighter as she took off down the hall, "Can do, just you watch Dear, you'll love my lessons!~" she stated excitedly.

I could feel my face turn pale, *Surely i'm not the only person this is happening to, right?* I wondered to myself, not sure if this was just common or I was 'Lucky'...Either way, I was about to become acquainted with the deep side of the pool...*Why me?*

* * *

I leaned against the wall in my black boxers as I dripped dry in the corner of Scilia's room, I had sent her to retrieve a towel so I was relatively fine at the present moment, although my arms and legs were still wobbly from the flailing around I had done, but thankfully Scilia was there to keep me from sinking too far. shaking my head, lashing my wet hair around like a dog, I tried my hardest to get at least moderately dry.

*I appreciate the thought, but she was way too eager to throw me into the pool...I didn't even have the time to grab my swimming trunks." I thought to myself, messaging the side of my head, cheeks slightly lit, "But at least it was an effort, though i'm probably going to have to endure this awhile longer before I can actually swim on my own."

"Kuro Dear, I brought the towel!~"

I barely had the time to turn around and see the towel fly at my face, before I could even blink I found myself on my back with a warm, white cloth pressed against my face, leaving me blinking as I wondered why she had to throw the towel to begin with, "Thanks Scilia..."

* * *

::: **Chapter End!** :::

Yay, second chapter!~ xD

Anyway, this chapter was essentially to give an idea of how Scilia came to admire Kuroda, so I hope it fulfilled it's roll. It also introduced a friend of Kuroda's, who will be more of a background character, so don't worry about it too much. :3

Next chapter will introduce a new character, so I hope you'll all anticipate it as much as I will. xD

Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, I hope you all have a wonderful day, and I hope to see you around next time. :3


	3. Chapter 3

My head tilted as I observed my surroundings, I was in the dining room once again, but this time everyone seemed to be here already, and everyone included Hamano, who apparently arrived to have breakfast and a discussion with us about something.

Things were pretty quiet until her plate was cleared, then after taking a sip of coffee Ms. Hamano interlocked her fingers, "Alright, so I suppose you're all curious as to why i'm here, right?" she led off, "Well, I may have encountered a few...Issues, and I may require some assistance." she admitted nervously.

Mom's head tilted with her left eyebrow cocked, "Okay, what do you need assistance with?" she asked in a probing manner, deciding to learn more before getting roped into anything.

Hamano took a deep breath as she prepared to tell us what she had in mind, "You see, recently a family got into some trouble and we had to remove the Liminal staying with them from their home, however, due to an increase of students being accepted into the program we don't really have the space to keep her for now, but she needs somewhere to stay until we can locate another family to take her in." she stated, "Given how large your house naturally is I figured that this would be a good place, plus she'd have accepting individuals to make up for the past families business dealings."

Mother's head returned to a straight position, eyebrow still cocked, "If I may ask, what did this host family do?"

Hamano scratched the back of her head, a frown on her face, "They were...Pirates..." she stated, "They were making illegal copies of movies and were tricking her into thinking they were a delivery service, so when they went to walk around the neighborhood with her and were handing out illegal copies of movies, she was unknowingly watching illegal exchanges."

Mother paused before letting out a sigh and shaking her head, "The world really is full of shit..." She muttered under her breath, she then paused, her eyes closed as she considered the circumstances. Scilia and I exchanged glances before looking back to her, eventually her eyes reopened and she nodded with a small smile, "Alright, we'll look after her."

Hamano rose with a smile and nodded, "Good to hear, I should be able to get her here before the day ends thanks to your cooperation, I suppose she must be having a headache right now." she stated cheerfully, "I'll do my best to fill her in on the circumstances, do treat her well during her stay please." she feigned pleading as she saw herself out, taking out a cellphone from her pocket as she stepped out the front door.

I leaned back in my chair as Mom looked at Scilia and then me, "Sorry for not asking your opinion, but I fear my sympathetic side got the better of me." she stated with a shrug, "Besides, it won't be cramped and you both are nice, so I figured you'd be up for it."

Scilia looked at me with something of a nervous smile, "Yeah, no problem here." she stated, her words betraying her expression, yet I had no idea what she was getting at.

I shrugged, "Eh, doesn't bother me." I stated, "We're helping somebody after all."

Mom nodded, "Right, and that's what matters."

* * *

I sighed as I arrived back at the door of my house, bags of groceries in hand, I was glad to be back and all but Hamano's car was out in the front of our house, that being the case I was fairly certain there was another presence inside as well. Going in open-minded, I slowly opened the door and peeked inside to see everyone at the table, a new face among them as I had expected.

As everyone's head turned to look in the direction I was in I was able to get a good look at this individual. She had an athletic build, not too muscular, not too slim, her hips were wide and her cup size was likely D or slightly larger, her skin was a more tanned color, her dark blue hair was cut to her shoulders, it was also slightly unkept, like someone had ruffled it, but what really stood out were a pair of bull-like horns sticking out of her skull, her ears replaced with the ears of a bull as well, her dull eyes were a murky, green color, which seemed to be scanning me presently, around her neck was a large, cuff-like collar, she wore a Blue, sleeveless shirt, which clung well to her rather...Gifted figure, tattered bandages wrapped around her arms from her knuckles to her elbows, a leather belt fastened her baggy, black pants to her body, a silver buckle in the shape of a bull at the center, her pants seemed to be covered with multiple stitches, instead of shoes at her feet, she had hooves, as well as a tin tail ending in a stub of fur, which seemed to be wagging.

I couldn't help but blink, *A Minotaur?* I wondered, letting it process for a moment. I cast a glance towards the door, using my shoe to pull it closed, "Back, I guess i'm late, huh?" I asked as I spun on my heel and entered the kitchen, making my way to the counter.

Hamano nodded, "Quite, you almost missed the introduction." I looked back at her and nodded before seeking a place at the table. after I finally got seated, Hamano cleared her throat, "Like I was saying before Kuro-kun here interrupted, this is Minette Toria, if you would introduce yourself." she stated, gesturing towards the Minotaur at the table.

Internally snickering about how convenient her name was, I barely missed the grin that spread across her face, "Sure thing Hama-Chan." she stated, looking us all over, "Like she said, the name's Minette, I like jogging, sleeping, basketball, food, and...Well, fun in general." she admitted with a proud smile, "Thanks for having me over, i'm glad to meet you guys." she stated, bowing her head.

Mother nodded with a smile, "Ah, so you're an active one I take it? You'll likely have the most energy in this house, but hopefully you'll find some way to keep entertained during your stay here." she stated kindly, "My name is Keiko Kazuma, we're glad to welcome you."

Scilia shot me a gaze before looking back at Minette, a small smile on her face, "It's nice to meet you as well, i'm Scilia Neptune, I hope we get along well." she stated, bowing to her.

I hummed as I prepared to introduce myself, promising that this wouldn't be nearly as bad as my introduction to Scilia, "Nice to meet you Minette, my name is Kuroda Kazuma, I hope you enjoy you're stay." I internally swore as I bowed, realizing I had basically just said the same thing as everyone else, *Oh well, progress...One step at a time.* I stated with an internal sigh.

Minette grinned and bowed again, "Thanks again guys!"

* * *

I let out a sigh of relief as I walked through the hall leading to Scilia's pool, I had just got done with her lessons for the day...I still wouldn't be swimming within a week, but i'd say I was making some form of progress, no matter how minute. Mother had been showing Minette around, or at least I hope she did...But as I passed a door I heard a noise, like something pounding against the carpeted floor.

I turned my head towards the door before it tilted in confusion, if I remembered right then there was essentially nothing in the room...I think we had plans to convert it into a game room of sorts but as it stood the room should be completely empty, it didn't even hove windows. Before I knew it, I heard a swooshing sound, it was muffled but I was pretty familiar with it, which caused me to open the door and peak inside to see Minette dribbling a ball in the center of the room, a basketball goal on the left and right side of the room respectively, which made me realize that the room was actually large enough to play Basketball in...Being an attachment to the house probably helped since it didn't hinder the length and height.

Minette's ears flicked as she became aware of my presence, causing her to look over, an inquisitive expression on her face, "Hmm? What's Kuro doing here?" she asked, catching the ball as it came back up.

I rubbed the back of my head, "Eh, I was on my way to my room to use the computer, but I heard you playing Basketball and came to investigate." I admitted. I blinked, leaning against the doorway, "If you don't mind me asking, what got you so interested in basketball, Minette?"

Minette's ears perked up a little as she smiled, holding the ball to her left side, "Not very Minotaur-like, huh?" she asked with a chuckle, "I dunno, I just think it's fun." she stated with a shrug.

I hummed to myself, "Hmm...Well, I suppose that's what matters." I stated with a shrug, "How long have you been playing, if you don't mind me asking." I forged on, genuinely interested.

Minette ran a finger under her nose, "I didn't know much about it at first, but some kids showed me how to play and it just kinda grew on me, ya know?" she then blinked and tilted her head, "Why so curious?"

Tilting my head, I thought about whether I should reveal my reasoning, but eventually I figured it was harmless enough, "I used to play basketball back in school, I wasn't on a team or anything, but I think I was pretty good...At least until some dude broke my left leg and right ankle during an unofficial match." I stated, looking off, a tone of annoyance, "After that I just kinda fell out of the habit of playing, I didn't hate basketball but I just found other things to do." I stated honestly, shrugging.

Minette frowned, looking at my ankles, "Someone broke your ankles? Why'd they do that?" she asked in a tone of confusion and concern.

I shrugged, "Bad sportsmanship at it's finest, the guy just didn't like that I was doing better than him." I admitted, crossing my arms over my chest, "It didn't leave any permanent damage, but I did need a crutch, so that wasn't fun."

Minette's ears dropped a little but soon a smile came to her face and they picked back up, her arms suddenly rose, the ball aimed at me in the same manner as a pass, "Catch!"

"W-Whoa!" I was taken aback as the ball suddenly launched at me, luckily, thanks to quick reflexes and muscle memory I managed to drop the ball, much like this had been an actual pass...Then I felt the sting in my wrists from the force of impact, that and my palms turned a flushed color.

In a way I had used this to get an estimate of her strength, she had to have been holding back due to my below-average build, but she also was exerting enough force to dribble on a carpeted floor...I imagine that a pass from her with her average strength would probably break my arms...

I sighed, a little from the stinging sensation in my hands, a little from frustration by the suddenness of the action, "Glad I managed to stop that, otherwise i'd probably be bent in half on the floor." I admitted, looking back up to Minette, who was rubbing the back of her head with her tongue sticking out at me, "By the way, when did the basketball goals get here?"

Freezing suddenly, Minette looked over at them, blinking in confusion, "They weren't here already?" she asked, genuinely confused.

With that, the moment of silence that I typically bring to conversations arrived, leaving us both wondering just where the goals came from.

Eventually I shrugged and dribbled, getting a feel for how much force I needed to exert to dribble on carpeting, "Oi!" I called, drawing Minette's attention towards me. After bouncing the ball back upwards and catching it, I passed it to her, and she caught it with no problems, "Have fun, i'm gonna go do stuff." I stated with a salute as I spun on my heel to leave.

Minette grinned before waving, "Back at ya, we should play some time." she stated before going back to her practice.

I thought about it as I closed the door behind me, *Hmm, could be fun...* I internally admitted, *But it also sounds like a risk to my health, better hold off on that.* I thought, my face turning pale as I resumed my walk. Eventually I passed the kitchen but stopped myself from heading up the stairs, instead I looked towards the living room to see Mom watching the news, "Hey Mom, do you know who installed the basketball hoops in the empty room?" I asked, deciding to get that mystery out of the way before resuming my daily life.

Mom looked over at me from the recliner, "Oh, Hamano did it while you were busy drowning." she stated in a deadpan manner.

I could feel my expression turn neutral, "Why you gotta say it like that?"

* * *

:: **Meanwhile** ::

I scratched my chin as I tried figuring out what my father was up to, his boat was loaded with diving gear, food, and other such things, likely implying he would be searching for something in the deep.

"Oh Father..." I started, bringing my hand to massage the bridge of my nose, "What have you been roped into this time..."

* * *

::: **Chapter End!** :::

And another chapter has been completed with the arrival of Minette, a Minotaur that seems to enjoy physical activity, also seeming to have more energy than anyone else in the house.

This actually took awhile because I had to scrap my original idea for this chapter, couldn't make it work so I figured "Hmm...Well, i'm fond of Minotaur, let's go that route!". xD

Anyway, I hope you found this chapter enjoyable, because the next one's mostly going to revolve around Minette, I hope to see you there. :3

Until then, have a great day. :D


	4. Chapter 4

I slumped down in my chair, I had just come downstairs early in the morning in order to wish my mother a safe day, but presently my energy reserves were low, as usual, so I lacked the will to pull myself back up the stairs. Stretching, I tried to figure out why I didn't make some breakfast or something, especially since it would likely help get me out of my lethargic state.

But before I could find the will to stand, I realized that I could hear something approaching at a quick pace, looking over, I saw Scilia wheeling her way into the dining room, smiling as she pulled up a seat next to me, "Morning Dear!~" she exclaimed, I then felt something tug at me as she had forced our chairs together, wrapped her arms around my neck, and wrapped her tentacles around me, causing me to gasp out of surprise.

Seemingly ignoring the fact she was nuzzling my neck, my head tilted in the opposite direction, "Morning Scilia...This is odd." With that she froze and looked at my face, tilting her head in confusion, "Well, it's just that usually you're as hopeless as me when it comes to waking up, did you get up early or something?"

Scilia gasped, gaining a nervous smile and a blush as she looked away, "O-Oh, yeah...A dream woke me up." she stated, I could feel her grip grow tighter, "But that doesn't matter Dear, all that matters is that i'm awake now." she stated with a wink.

Despite my curiosity, it was too early for me to make the conscious effort to dig deeper into the mystery, instead opting to go limp in Scilia's embrace, "Well, alright."

Before we realized it there was a pair of eyes watching us, Scilia seemed to ignore them but I looked over the opposite shoulder to find the source, which was Minette, who seemed to be watching, her head tilted, "Uh...Am I interrupting something?" she asked in a confused manner.

Scilia just shook her head without saying anything, so I decided to be the one to fill her in, "Typically, Scylla enjoy squeezing things, from prey to loved ones." I stated, trying to not sound as tired as I felt, "Scilia typically hugs me, take that as you will."

Minette's left cheek puffed at as she began scratching her chin, looking like she was deep in thought. Scilia, having grown hungry, decided to let go, "It's quite simple, my dear Kuro is my romantic interest." she stated pridefully as she got up to fetch something from the fridge.

Minette jumped a little, gasping, "H-Huh? You mean that you two are-wait, isn't that illegal?" she asked, even more confused now.

I decided to step in before things got out of hand, "Technically no because we haven't done anything illegal, also, we're not really-" before I could finish my sentence I could feel a tentacle wrap around my head, blocking my mouth.

Scilia shook her head, "Dear, do watch what you say." she stated with a giggle.

As her tentacle retracted I groaned, "Honestly, i'm not really opposed to it, but technically it's not official." I stated before getting up to get my breakfast ready, Scilia seemed to hum happily in response. I rubbed the back of my head as I looked back towards Minette, suddenly realizing that she was at least a foot taller than me...If I had to guess I would say that she was a little over six feet, "Anyone ever tell you that you're tall?" I asked, my head tilted.

Minette's curious expression turned into a grin as she let out a laugh, "You don't know a lot about Minotaur, do you?" she asked, her tone changing back to it's usual, cheerful one, "If i'm honest, i'm surprised it took you this long to notice." she stated as she made her own way to the fridge.

I shrugged, "Can't be helped, every time i've seen you at full height you were at a distance, every other time you were sitting down." I stated in my defense, "Besides, it's not the first time someone's been taller than me, i'm only five foot one after all..." using this time, I looked over at Scilia, she was only a foot shorter than me due to the fact she lacked legs, but I imagine that from tentacle to head she'd be taller than both of us combined.

Minette gave me a smile from over her shoulder, "Eh, it doesn't matter." she stated dismissively, "So, wanna play basketball later? It's kinda boring playing alone."

I could see Scilia freeze, likely she was overthinking things.

I shrugged, "Eh, why not?" I responded with a shrug, watching Minette's smile turn into a grin.

* * *

We had gathered at a basketball court outside my friend's house, we decided on this because there wasn't enough room in the 'game room' back home to play a proper game...That and one-on-one didn't seem too fun. Nesun was one of my older friends, he was also the one who was living with an Orc, who's called himself Ten, as such they were here too, Scilia was also here, watching from the shade with an expression i'd call less than pleased, her arms crossed under her chest.

Nesun had white skin and a relatively fit build, he was a little taller than me, but not by much, his short, messy, black hair looked like he had just got out of bed, his grey eyes seemed to reflect the sun's light, he wore a white, button-up shirt, blue jeans, black sneakers with red details, and a red wristband that read 'All Together'. Ten on the other hand was covered with dark-brown fur, he pretty much towered over us but I figured that was a given, his dark-brown hair had a greenish tint to it, it was also warn in a manner similar to Nesun's, his left eye was yellow, his right eye was cloudy, suggesting he was blind or at least partially blind in the right eye, he wore a blue shirt over a majority of his frame, a silver chain for a necklace, his baggy, green pants were probably cargo pants given the many pockets, and black boots made for Orcs covered his feet.

I rubbed the back of my head as I looked to Nesun, who's arms were crossed over his chest, a smile on his face, "Sorry that I called you out for this all of a sudden, I know it's pretty early in the day so-"

I was cut off when he raised his hand towards me, "Hey, don't worry about it, we're hanging out after all, right?" he asked with a grin, he then looked back to Minette, who was looking around at the surrounding area. Without waiting he pulled me over to him and Ten by the arm, they both leaned in, inquisitive looks on their faces, "Dude, where are these chicks from?" Nesun asked, his face tinted a little red as he stared at Minette's rear.

I blinked, tilting my head, "They're staying with me, Scilia's the one on Homestay, Minette's temporary though." I stated, my arms crossing over my chest.

Ten shot me a jealous glare, "Dude, you lucked out, that Minotaur's stacked!" he stated quietly, clearly struggling to not watch her.

Nesun seemed to share this opinion, I just shrugged, "Well it's true that she's got an amazing body, I can't deny that, but like I said, she's only staying with us until they find her a new host." I stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "Besides, I still barely know her, it's essentially illegal for Humans and Liminal to be together, and she's out of my league, so-"

"What are you guys talking about?" Minette called, looking as though she was ready to start playing.

With that Nesun and Ten broke from the huddle, Nesun clapped his hands together, "Anyway, good chat, I guess we should get started, right?" he asked in a rushed manner.

I nodded and the four of us met at the center, exchanging glances, "So, how should we make the teams?" I asked, drawing their attention, "I mean, should it just be Minette and me versus Nesun and Ten?" I asked in a curious manner.

They looked between each other and shrugged, "Sure, we can play together, besides, it'd be a disaster if we got teamed up." Nesun stated, recalling the days we used to play.

I nodded, looking up to Minette, "Guess we're teammates then, cool." I stated with a smile.

Minette grinned back, "Yup, let's do this!~" she stated, excited...This was probably her first game against people within her age group now that I think of it, unless those kids that taught her got their siblings involved.

With this decided, we had all reached our positions, somehow or another Scilia had acquired a referee outfit and had wheeled herself over here, picking up the ball, glaring at Minette, "Everyone ready?" she asked, about to toss the ball upwards. Everyone nodded, with that she tossed it upward, "Get it Deary!~"

"Deary!?" Nesun and Ten shouted in surprise as it had been clearly directed towards me, taking advantage of their surprise and the fact I was the fastest player on the field, I had quickly closed the distance to the ball.

* * *

A few scores later and our team had won, Nesun and Ten seemed okay with that as they watched Minette jumping up and down, clearly happy with her victory, although the whole reason they had lost was probably because they were watching her chest as she moved during the game...As a hetero-sexual male, I can't deny that I had ignored it either, so i'm not one to talk...

I was catching my breath, having not done this kind of activity in quite awhile, but then my teammate decided to share her happiness with me in the form of a hug, "Kuro, that was awesome!" she exclaimed happily, fortunately or unfortunately, due to the difference in height I found my face pressed into her chest, draining my oxygen as blood started rushing to my face...That combined with her strength was probably not a good combination for my health, "We did it!~ Wha-" her celebration was interrupted.

I had felt something wrap tightly around me before yanking me out of Minette's grip, giving me the chance to breath as I found myself pulled into Scilia's arms, I then realized that her left eye was twitching as she growled at Minette, who puffed her cheeks out, likely just upset by how rude the action had seemed to her, "Mine!" Scilia hissed, essentially constricting me.

Nesun and Ten watched from a safe distance, sweat rolling down their faces, "Heh...Lucky or not?" Ten asked, feeling a little concerned for me.

Nesun shrugged, "Who knows, I know i'd love to have women like that fight over me." he stated honestly.

* * *

Having said our goodbyes, we decided to head home. Minette smiled as she looked around, "I recognize this part of town, I think." she stated, apparently remembering something.

I blinked, looking over at her for a moment before quickly refocusing on everything in front of Scilia since I was pushing her wheelchair, "Oh?" I asked in a simple manner.

Minette nodded, "Yeah, this is around the place where I played with those kids while my host's daughter showed me around town and her folks were off." she stated, "Small world, huh?" she asked with a grin.

Scilia looked over at her, a look of concern on her face, "Hey Minette, you know what kind of people you were staying with, right?"

Minette's smile sank as her gaze lowered, "Yeah...They told me about it themselves when I visited them." she answered truthfully, "They didn't seem like bad folks, they just...Had to do their own thing, you know?" she asked, scratching the back of her head.

I nodded, it was ignorant to ignore that there was good among the bad, sure some people had plenty of options, but sometimes things got desperate and people cracked, it didn't make them villains or anything. I carefully pat her on the back, "Yeah, I think I get what you mean." I stated sadly, "Hopefully they don't get charged too hard, it'd only make things worse for their financial situation."

Minette smiled at me, apparently glad that I understood, "Yeah...Thanks." she had squeezed my shoulder in response, I realize that she was trying to show gratitude but I still had to contain a yelp due to her strength.

I nodded, feeling the color drain from my face, "Y-Yeah, no problem." I stated in a strained voice.

I could feel something wrap around my waist, as if Scilia knew that I was being touched, "Ahem!" she started, "So Minette, you seem to be somebody that goes with the flow..." she tilted her head in confusion, causing Scilia to press on, "How were you able to act so nice if you liked your previous host family?" Scilia asked curiously.

Minette looked a little saddened by this question, "Well, you guys seemed nice...Besides, I was actually pretty bummed out." she admitted, causing both Scilia and I to look at her in confusion, in response she looked away, "I wanted to make a good impression, I didn't wanna drag down everyone's mood either."

I couldn't help but smile as Scilia just stared at her, her features turning a little softer, "That's rather considerate of you, but you shouldn't bottle things up." she stated as though she was a councilor.

Minette just chuckled and scratched the back of her head, sticking her tongue out, "It's okay, i'm happier with you guys than I thought i'd be." she stated, "I'm kinda short compared to most Minotaur my age, so i'm used to getting picked on, so i'm glad to have you guys as pals."

Scilia seemed to have reeled back from this, she then coughed and put on a smiled, "That's rather sweet, and i'll happily be your friend..." she started, I then felt another tentacle wrap around me, making it a little more difficult to walk, "Just know that some things are off limits, then we can be the best of friends." she stated with a sly tone of voice.

Minette blinked, but she didn't seem confused this time, more like she knew exactly what she was talking about, "Hmm...Maybe..." she said quietly, like she was thinking about something, but it was too quiet for either of us to hear.

* * *

I silently made my way through the halls, everyone was back to doing their own thing, Mom wasn't back yet, ad I was bored. Sighing to myself, I wasn't entirely sure what to do to occupy my time, but I was essentially heading back to my room after taking a shower.

I hummed internally as a smile came to my face, *Well, I would call today a success.* I thought to myself, *I learned a little more about Minette, her and Scilia are getting along slightly better...Plus I got to hang out with friends, that's a win.*

"Uh, hey, Kuro?" a familiar voice echoed. I blinked, looking around, but nobody was in sight, I then realized it was coming from a little further down the hallway.

As I made my way towards the source I saw Minette climbing the stairs, likely seeing if I was in my room, "Hey-" I started, but it had a result I hadn't expected.

Apparently Minette was scared relatively easy because when I called to her she jumped, letting out a scream of surprise as she started falling backwards. My eyes went wide as I unthinkingly went to catch her, but luckily my brain realized this would be impossible to accomplish with my arms, so springing up the steps and turning mid air, I tried my hardest to hold her up with the whole of my back, forcing me to crouch down to absorb the force she was unwillingly putting on me.

Minette gasped in shock as she realized what had happened, looking over her should to see I had not only managed to stop her fall, but was presently pushing her up a little. Realizing that she wasn't making any effort, she gasped before reaching for the railing and lifting herself up the rest of the way, allowing me to stand back up, putting my hands to my knees as I released the breath I had been holding, "T-That...Was...Close..." I got out between breaths, trying to release the stress that had built up in my muscles. I turned to face Minette, who was staring at me with a mix of shock and confusion, "A-Are you...Okay?"

Snapping out of it, she nodded, but the concern remained on her face, "Are you alright, i'm pretty heavy after all." she admitted, unconsciously reaching for my shoulder.

I nodded, "I'm not gonna die or anything, my arms may be pathetic, but my legs are pretty strong." I stated, blinking as she started to massage my shoulder, a worried look still painted on her face, "H-Hey, it's alright, besides, I couldn't just let you fall." I stated, placing my left hand on the wrist of her right hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Minette's worry seemed to be replaced by surprise, but soon afterwords she had given me a warm smile, her face turning a light shade of red. Before I realized it was a shade I was familiar with I found myself lifted up, arms wrapped behind my back, as she had caught me in an affectionate hug, her warm left cheek pressing against mine, "Thanks, that's one of the coolest things anybody has ever done for me!" she stated, rubbing her cheek against mine, causing my own to heat up, but not just because of that...Likely also because of breasts pressing against my chest, which was squeezed against them due to the hug.

...I never said I was a complete gentleman...

Blinking, I decided to hug her back, especially because I wasn't able to talk or do pretty much anything else at the moment.

* * *

Everyone stared at Minette in confusion, Hamano including since she was present. Hamano had come to retrieve Minette so they could go looking for her new host, but she had essentially stopped in place and declared, "I want to stay here." with a wide grin on her face.

Hamano pushed up her glasses, "Oh? What brought this on?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Minette looked around, "I like it here, everyone's really nice." she stated happily, "And..." she looked towards me, blushing a little, "My Darling's here."

Scilia, who had been taking a drink of water, shot said water out in the form of a jet, knocking an orange on the counter into the sink, she then slammed her hands down on the table and glared at Minette, "D-Darling!?" she hissed, her tentacles whipping and coiling in the air, "Surely you aren't talking about my Deary!"

Minette shot her a competitive grin, "Who else would I be talking about?" she asked calmly.

Lightning seemed to be coming from their eyes as they were engulfed in competitive flames, neither girl backed down, leaving me wondering how i was going to survive this.

Hamano coughed, a smile on her face, "Well~...If Minette likes it here there's not much we can do, Ms. Kazuma, your thoughts?" she asked in a sly manner.

Mom blinked before shrugging, "I don't really care as long as Scilia and Minette don't cause any property damage with this war, and as long as they don't break the law." she stated, not fighting it in the slightest.

I gulped as the conversation drew to a close, partially happy, partially fearful, of what the future had in store.

* * *

::: **Chapter End!** :::

Yay, chapter 4!~ And holy crap, this one was easier to write than the others! X_X

Anyway, I managed to get to work on this one early since it's a relatively busy season, so there wasn't much to distract me, I hope this doesn't feel rushed because I honestly was putting my best efforts forwards.

Next chapter's going to contain some interesting information, this may or may not have something to do with some planned events later down the line... ;3

Anyway, I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter, I hope to see you next time, and I hope you all have a wonderful day.~ :3


	5. Haywire Update!

Hello dear readers, I have come with some news.

I will not be dropping this story, but i've reached a few unfortunate snags, which mainly involve introducing the next Liminal...

I have a vague idea of what I want this character to be but as stated, introducing her and finalizing her species is...Difficult, which is rather unfortunate because i've spent two days rewriting what could have been half a chapter of it's own, but I felt what I was doing wasn't quite...Intelligent, so I essentially am having a mental gunfight with myself as I try to figure this out. x_x

Essentially, it may take longer to figure this out than I initially expected, I know that I need to take my time writing these chapters regardless, but given the difficulty that i'm having...I just felt like I needed to let you guys know what's going on.

In other news, i've been considering another story, possibly something to work on while I try to untangle this mess of a chapter, although it's going to likely be a RWBY fanfiction, not sure if anyone here is into that series or not so I felt that if you're following me and see the next thing I post is completely unrelated, I essentially just wanted to give you a heads up.

Anyway, that's what's been going down, I hope to resolve this mess quickly so I can upload the next chapter at some point. xD

Have a wonderful day, hope to see you all soon. :3


	6. Chapter 5

I tilted my head as I delivered the plates to the table, the reason for my confusion was how happy Hamano appeared to be about something, chuckling and rocking her head back and forth with a grin on her face. I wasn't the only one confused but nobody seemed to be addressing the elephant in the room...Well, I guess not everyone was curious, Minette was just happy that Hamano was happy.

Deciding to take the initiative after sitting down, I cleared my throat before locking my fingers together on the table, "So Hamano, what's got you in such a good mood?" I asked, maintaining a straight face.

Her head stopped moving as her sunglasses moved down her nose slightly, "Oh, just a little story that one of my co-workers told me." she stated with a smile, "Apparently a boy that she works with was kidnapped by a Harpy the other day, that same Harpy saved a kid that was in a tree and he agreed to be her Homestay."

Mother smiled in response to this news, "Ah, that does sound like an interesting story." she likely liked it for the fact it would give some people a better look at Liminals, that was her hope anyway.

Hamano nodded, "Indeed, the better part is that he already had a Homestay, so he has two living with him now." she stated with a wink, "Come to think of it, that reminds me of some family, but I can't put my finger on it.~" she stated, feigning ignorance.

I couldn't help but chuckled at this news, "Well, he sounds like a cool guy to me." I stated, sinking into my chair, glad I wasn't the only person this was happening to.

Scilia almost immediately responded by pulling my chair closer to her and entangling me with her tentacles, "Not as cool as my Deary, but a close second.~" she stated, glad for the news, but dismissing the boy involved as she nuzzled my neck.

I then felt something yank at me, causing both me and Scilia to gasp as I was almost completely torn from her grip and ended up in one of Minette's hugs, "Darling doesn't need to compete with anybody, he's the best to us." she stated with a grin, knowing that Scilia was struggling to pull me out of her grasp.

Hamano observed this with an amused grin, a mischievous look on her face...Like she was planning something...I don't like this side of her one bit...

Mother sighed, "Alright you two, stop fighting before you tear him in half." she stated in a bored manner.

* * *

"Honestly Dear, if you don't like hugs then why do you never complain when Minette hugs you?" Scilia asked, her cheeks puffed as I pushed her wheelchair.

I scratched the back of my head, looking for an acceptable answer, "Well...Likely because she doesn't hug me in the morning." I stated in response, leaving her figure out of it as it'd likely result in something unpleasant happening, "Besides, it's not like i'm going around looking for them, you both have a habit of dragging me into it." I concluded with a shrug.

Scilia shot me a skeptic glace over her shoulder, "Well...I guess that's true." she stated hesitantly, not really capable of dismissing my claim.

I guess I should explain why we were out, huh? Essentially what happened was Scilia wanting to go look around town more, Minette tried to go as well but ended up having to go with Mother to bring some stuff home from the store.

Shrugging, I decided to change the conversation, "So, What do you think of this place?" I asked, earning me a confused glance, "I mean this city, our house...What are your thoughts?"

Scilia blinked, pausing for a moment, "I like it, back in my home we didn't really have much to do." she answered honestly, "But here I could read, watch television...And I get to live with you and Ms. Keiko." she stated with a smile.

I couldn't help but chuckle, glad to hear that was a positive thing.

* * *

::: **Keiko's POV** :::

I blinked as I was making my return trip home, two bags wrapped around each arm, Minette at my side, carrying five with her capable arms. We had been in relative silence aside from the occasional glance and mutter of onlookers, that and occasionally Minette would try to start a conversation, it would typically end when she wasn't sure how to respond.

"Soo...Ms. Kei?" Minette started, grabbing my attention with the nickname she had created, "I just realized, I haven't asked what your job is." Minette stated, looking at me with an apologetic grin.

I hummed a little as I thought about it, "I suppose you could call me a Doctor..." I started, causing her to tilt her head as I grabbed her attention, "I run a small pharmacy in one of the less populated regions of the city, but I have a medical licence that makes me qualified to give check-ups and such, even though most of that is free and ends with me recommending a Hospital for them to go to."

Minette seemed taken aback by this, "So you take care of people in your work, not just at home?" she asked, a smile on her face, "But if you could be a nurse or a doctor at a hospital, why aren't you?"

I blinked in response, typically nobody had asked this before, unless they were concerned about my income of course, "I prefer the quiet life, working at a Hospital would be too taxing." I stated honestly, "Besides, I don't really work well with others."

This response seemed to only confuse her more, but she eventually grinned as she took the bags I was holding off my left arm, adding them to her load. I frowned as I looked back at her, about to ask if she'd let me carry them, when she put a finger to my lips, "Don't worry about it, you help others a lot, so let me help you." she offered with a grin.

I was silent for a moment, but eventually I sighed and dropped the matter, "Alright, though I prefer to carry my own weight..." I stated, having mixed feelings about this.

* * *

As I began to put away everything we had purchased I couldn't help but release a sigh of relief, as it stood, Minette was watching television, my son and Scilia were off on a walk, and I was alone in the kitchen with thoughts stuck running through my head.

I ran the images of these last few days through my brain, replaying the events that my son shared with Scilia and Minette, *They really do get along...* I thought to myself, but then the image of Hamano ran through my mind...I appreciate that she has given our family this opportunity, but there seems to be more to her decisions than simply trust...That's why I had called her earlier today.

My posture straightened as I heard a knock on the door, before I could even turn to face them Minette had let her in.

"Thanks Minette." she started, "So, you wanted to talk Ms. Kazuma?"

I turned to face them, Hamano had wore a smile, Minette was as confused as ever, "Minette, can I trust you to watch the house while i'm away?" I started, causing them both to tilt their heads, "I need to talk with Ms. Hamano, so I felt like taking a walk."

Minette paused, eventually nodding her head. Locking my arm with Hamano's, I dragged her out the front door, "H-Hey, what's the rush?" she asked, clearly confused by my actions as the door closed behind us, "I just got here too..."

I released her as we reached the sidewalk, nudging my head towards the right, "We need to talk, would you mind?" I asked in a straight manner.

The confused agent stared into my eyes for a few moments before nodding, "Alright, I needed some exercise anyway." she stated, turning around to face the same direction as me. The two of us walked down the street, her hands in her pockets, mine at my sides, "Sooo...What did you want to talk about?" she asked in an inquisitive manner.

I paused for a moment, considering my words, "I wanted to know a little bit about your reasoning, nothing too...Invasive." I started, causing her to turn her head, "Tell me, why do you seem to trust my family so much?"

Hamano blinked, deciding to take some time to figure out how to handle this, "Well, you're good people for starters..." she started, treading lightly.

I shot her a sideways glance, "There are others out there that fit that description as well." I stated, cutting her off both verbally and physically, stopping her by standing in front of her, "I know there's a better reason than that, and I know that deciding to place Minette in our hands wasn't an accident..." I started, my tone as clear as ever, "So what's the real purpose behind your choice to place more than one Liminal in our household?"

Freezing, Hamano must have realized that I knew that she had some form of plan going on, "You don't like it?" she asked in a probing manner, as delicately as one would do should they find themselves navigating a mine-field.

I blinked before shaking my head, "I don't mind, but I would prefer that you not hide things from me like this." I stated, looking her straight in the eyes with a concerned expression, "Michiyo...I'm responsible for every member of my household, but more importantly, it's my job as a mother to ensure that my home is still a home, not a test site..." I stated in a pleading manner, hoping that she'd drop the games and just tell me what she had planned.

Clearly taken aback by my use of her first name, she seemed to have been stunned by my plea, after a moment she recovered with a sigh, "Keiko, I trust you not just because you're a caring, accepting woman..." she started, "You also have a medical background, and that's quite important...I needed to make sure I could leave them in your capable hands because you can keep them safe and healthy." she took off her sunglasses so that she could look me in the eyes, "You were once a vet, you had a history as a nurse...You're one of the few I could trust with this."

There was a pause as I processed this, the wind blowing as I scanned her eyes, her words were genuine...

Eventually I nodded, "I see...So essentially, you want me to monitor their health?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

Michiyo paused before nodding, "And keep them safe, i'm pretty sure that nobody around this part of the neighborhood, even racial extremists, would bring harm to anyone under your watch." she stated, placing the sunglasses back on her face, "That and there are still some bacteria that could have effects we don't know about on the body of a Liminal, so in a place where multiple are staying we need someone that can observe the changes and find a solution.

Looking off to the side, I released a breath of air, "You do realize I only have the standard equipment of a pharmacy, right?" it was like she was expecting me to have everything I would need to combat a plague or something.

Michiyo sighed, "I do, and that's why I had a surprise planned for you, but you ruined it." she stated in a bland tone, shoving her hands in her pockets, "I've been pulling strings to try and get a hold of some medical equipment for you...Any more questions?"

I blinked, not sure whether what she had stated was legal or not, "Just one more...Where does my son fit in to this plan?" I asked, my arms still crossed.

Michiyo froze for a moment before straightening herself up, "Well...This was supposed to be a secret..." she stated nervously, rubbing the back of her neck.

My left eyebrow rose as my eyes narrowed, "And i'm good at keeping them, so you have nothing to worry about, do you?" I asked, a slightly more aggressive tone than usual.

Michiyo bit her lower lip as she internally debated whether she should talk or not, "Well...Word's been going around that there **may** be an amendment to the Interspecies Exchange Bill..." she paused, looking back to my face with a nervous smile while rubbing the back of her head, "Such as...The ability for Humans and other species to marry..."

...Silence...

I could feel my eyes widen slightly as I processed this information, Michiyo raised her hands defensively, "We won't be forcing your son to be a test case, one of my coworkers thinks that she already has a possible case!" she stated, trying to reassure me that my son wasn't a pawn in this scheme.

When I finally felt like my face wasn't frozen I had realized it had gone back to it's usually expression, seemingly confusing Michiyo as I let out a sigh and rubbed my temples, "Hamano-San...I need some coffee, let's head back..." I pleaded, releasing a groan of frustration as I pictured the possible hardships ahead.

* * *

::: **Kuroda's POV** :::

Scilia and I tilted our heads as we entered the kitchen to find my mother and Hamano drinking coffee...Well, Hamano was, Mom's top half was pretty much rested on the table with her right hand gripping the handle of her mug, the left arm limp off to the side, "Ah, welcome back you two, did you enjoy your walk?" Hamano asked with a grin and a wink.

We only stared back in confusion, "Should we even ask?" I asked, deciding that I may as well get the question out of the way.

Hamano waved the question off, "No, it's fine, your mother's just having a caffeine headache." she stated dismissively.

* * *

::: **Chapter Finish!** :::

The chapter is DONE! xD

I would like to thank MickDunD for his assistance in helping me form ideas for the next chapter, I really appreciate it. :3

Now, back on track, we have two bits of important information released in this chapter: 1.) Timeline, we now know exactly when this takes place compared to the canon series. 2.) Motivation, we now know Michiyo Hamano's reasoning.

I hope this chapter wasn't too boring since a new Liminal wasn't introduced, but there will be one i the next chapter for sure.

I hope that you all enjoyed, I also hope to see you all next time. :D

*Though, let's be honest, Minette and Scilia only say what they do at the start of the chapter because of bias, in truth Kimihito stomps Kuroda in plenty of categories. xD*


	7. Chapter 6

::: **Unknown POV** :::

I leaned against the bars of my cage...Well, I supposed you'd call it a cell...Regardless, I sighed to myself, listening to the noise that my stinger made as I grazed it along the bars, occupying myself with perhaps the only thing I could presently do. I frowned as I looked around the dark room, I didn't mind that as much since I was used to dark places, but there was utterly nothing in this room aside from my cell and a table with numerous vials and equipment, the only way in and out being a door to the right of the table.

I was being held prisoner here, obviously, which was making me rather bitter...But all I could do was bide my time until I could find some way to escape, *How long have I been here?* I asked myself, propping my elbows against the bars as my palms kept my chin up, "Getting really bored in here..." I stated, hoping to get some kind of response, "I might be likely to produce more venom if I had something to do." I called out, clenching the cell bars with my pincers.

There was only silence in response.

Sighing, I let my face press against the bars, my groan echoing in the dark room. I was fairly certain that the only attention i'd be receiving was from that bitch when she came back around to milk my venom, which only served to frustrate me further.

I was about to go lay on the floor but suddenly I heard some kind of noise that caused me to perk my head upwards, drawing my attention to the door. the noise sounded different than what I was used to, it was like someone had knocked a door in-"Alright, listen up!" a loud voice echoed in the hall outside the room, "We know that you've been violating the Interspecies Exchange Bill, come on out!"

It should've sounded like an order, but it was too prideful...In that case I assume it was more of a provocation.

I lifted my head from my palms, blinking as I wondered what was happening, but I was fairly certain that this newcomer was here for the woman that was keeping me here. Realizing this was my chance to escape, I started to bash my pincers against the bars of the cell to draw their attention in case my voice wasn't enough, "Hey, I could use some help!" I shouted, hoping that the door and the walls weren't thick enough to block the noise.

I heard a noise from the hallway, "Hey Bina-Chan, did you hear something?"

* * *

::: **Keiko's POV** :::

I blinked as I listened to the story over the phone, a cup of coffee in hand, "I see, so there's a criminal on the loose using venom from a Liminal to paralyze people?" I asked questioningly, raising my left eyebrow, "And you want her to stay here because she doesn't get along well with other Liminal?"

"Your house has less to deal with than the temporary homes we offer, besides, our other plan was to place her in that Kimihito boy's care, but recently another Liminal joined his homestay." Michiyo explained, "She seemed relatively docile at first, according to the team that had rescued her, but that was when there were only two Liminal around her, after she met the other two members of the team she had become visibly agitated."

Humming, I tapped my fingers on the table, "I get it...She'd be 'crowded' at the temporary homes, she can't be left in an apartment on her own, and our home fits the bare minimum of her standards, yes?" I asked, starting to see where she was going with this.

"Quite, there are alternatives...But we feel that you'd be the best person to leave her with." Michiyo stated, "Given that I know you have everything you need, I feel you'd be capable of subduing her previous captor should she return for the poor girl." Michiyo informed, seemingly leading into something else, "And...Well...There's going to be a full moon in a day or two..."

My eyes temporarily widened before I cleared my throat, recomposing myself, "Ah, I understand..." I stated, "Well...I can probably watch her, although i'm not certain that she'd be comfortable sharing the former Guest Room with Minette."

Michiyo fell silent for a moment, "How...Secure is your basement?" she asked, causing me to flinch.

* * *

::: **Kuroda's POV** :::

I joined Mom outside as a moving van pulled into our street, causing me to blink in confusion, "Uh, I know you said there'd be someone else moving in...But is the large truck necessary?" I asked, looking at Mom.

To my surprise she was fighting the urge to shiver, implying that whatever this was...She wasn't comfortable with it.

Hamano gave us a smile as she came around from the other side of the truck, scratching her head nervously, "Sorry that we took so long, we had trouble convincing her this was the safest way to transport her." she stated nervously as she began to raise the back, "Anyway, we're here now."

I blinked and watched as a pair of pincers emerged from the back, they were brown and dark to the point where they were almost black. As the individual from the back of the truck emerged into the sunlight I suddenly felt an absence at my right side, which didn't surprise me too much as I recognized the source of my mother's nervousness.

The girl that had been brought here had dark skin, her body looked fairly fit as well, her long, black hair shimmered in the light, it fell to the point where her shoulder-blades ended, her bangs were focused mainly in the middle of her face and off to the sides, essentially looking something like an 'M', it wasn't hard to see why, her dark-grey eyes didn't look anything like any eyes I had seen before, while they had the same shape as a human's, they looked...Foreign, alien even, aside from that she had a barely translucent, purple veil that was worn over her nose and mouth, two golden bracelets graced the wrists of her human arms, black wrappings secured her rather large chest, leaving her shoulders and belly mostly exposed, if I had to estimate, she had at least D cups, as my vision went further south, I watched as a sash similar to her wrappings covered the area where flesh met armor, a pair of 'arms' armed with powerful pincers protruded from her 'hips', from beyond that she essentially had the long body of a Scorpion, her segmented armor folding and lining back into place as her eight legs pulled her out of the truck, her long, armored tail ending in a large stinger that was curved upwards as if she was on alert, ready to put it to use if needed.

We blinked as we exchanged glances, she had a neutral expression on her face, she seemed to be analyzing my reaction.

Clearing my throat, I approached her, extending a hand, "Hello, i'm Kuroda Kazuma, it's nice to meet you Ms..." I started. It had been awhile since I had to directly introduce myself to someone like this, usually Mom was here to welcome people instead, but with her fear of Scorpions...Well...I had no other choice in the matter, otherwise i'd probably come off as rude, like the first time I met Scilia.

The girl's left eyebrow rose as a small smile came to her face, taking my hand in her own, "Amira, nice to meet your acquaintance." she stated, a prideful tone. She had led my hand upwards making me look up to her face, despite how attractive her face as a whole was, my vision was focused on her eyes...they were powerful, as if they were trying to convey just how strong she was, almost as though they were regal in nature, "I must admit, I wasn't expecting a human to take so well to this, you're quite an interesting individual." she purred, seemingly reading my thoughts by gazing into my eyes.

I was snapped out of this trance I was in when I felt a sudden tug that pulled me all the way back into the shade of the house, surely enough, Scilia was glaring at her, but Amira just looked annoyed. I could feel Scilia's tentacles wrap tightly around me, "Hello, New Girl..." she started, "Please keep your hands to yourself..."

Amira seemed to roll her eyes, "Oh my, it would seem someone doesn't know what teasing is..." she stated in an annoyed tone, not seeming to be a fan of Scilia.

Hamano cleared her throat, "Ahem...Anyway, Amira will be staying here for some time, if she chooses to stay then we won't argue." she stated, "Is that clear Kuroda? Scilia?"

I nodded, Scilia did as well, just...Hesitantly, still glaring at the Girtabliu that would be staying here for a time, who was glaring right back at her, not seemingly interested in taking any of her nonsense.

* * *

I watched as Mom collapsed against the table, clearly having some mental difficulty. I let out a sigh as I took a seat on the opposite side of the table, "Mom, don't worry, she's cool." I stated, trying to help her out, "Besides, Liminal can't hurt Humans, it's illegal."

I watched as she shot up, still shaking, "I can't help it, and I never assumed she would." she stated, "I just...Get n-nervous around Scorpions...I've had rather terrible nightmares..." she seemed ashamed of herself, "I have nothing against Amira, but I don't know how to approach her without suppressing my primal fear..."

My eyes went half-lidded as my left eyebrow rose, "Reminds me of when I got to know Scilia...You know...My fear of water?" I stated in an unamused way, "Mom, it's easier than you think, you just have to take the first step."

Mother looked down, pausing for a moment, "I suppose..." she stated with a sigh, "Your right...I can't let this problem persist..." she stated with a tone of resolve.

* * *

We blinked as we stared at the wall of our basement...Or, what should be a wall, but instead there was a large burrow in it, no light coming from within. Mother shook slightly, her eyes hidden in the shade of her hair, "W-What..."

Before she could get her answer, two silvery eyes lit up in the darkness, Amira coming out enough to where we could make out her shaded figure. Her head tilted to the right as she looked at us, "Kuro, Keiko, to what do I owe the pleasure of you two coming to visit little old me?" she asked with a smile, locking her hands together over her chest in a manner that suggested that she was flattered.

Mom let out the breath that she was holding as she composed herself, "I...Wanted to formally welcome you as a member of this household, even if you decide to leave with Hamano once your former captor is caught." she stated in a formal manner, bowing to her, "Amira, I hope that you enjoy your time here..."

I couldn't help but smile, glad to see my mother restraining her fear.

Amira chuckled as she stepped out of the shadows, using one of her pincers to lift Mom's chin, which made her shiver, "Dear Keiko, there's no reason to fear me, i'm not going to sting after all." she stated with a smile.

Mom gulped, maintaining a neutral expression, "I know..." she stated in a simple manner.

Amira tilted her head, "Then there's no need to be scared!" she stated, causing my mother to gasp as Amira pulled her into a hug, forcing Mom's head into her chest. I couldn't help but stare as she struggled, feeling something in my brain tell me to simply watch, but I think that Amira had noticed, "Oh my, you aren't enjoying this, are you Kuro-chan?" she asked in a teasing manner.

My eyes widened as my head snapped towards my left, trying to hide my bright red face, "W-What, of course not!" I hissed, leaving out that Mom wasn't involved in my thoughts.

Having released her, mother had staggered backwards, her eyes replaced with swirls as she caught her breath. We watched as she managed to get back up, eventually just taking off, leaving me with Amira, who was chuckling.

I turned my head towards her, deciding to ask questions while we were alone, "Hey, Amira-chan?" I started, drawing her attention, "Why do you dislike other Liminal?" I asked, putting my hands in my pockets.

Amira didn't exactly look sad or angry, just somewhere between, "Oh...You heard about that?" she asked, folding her arms under her chest.

I nodded, "Yeah, Mom told me when I asked about you earlier." I admitted.

The Girtabliu sighed, "Ah...I see..." she started, "Well, if you really want to know then i'll tell you." she gestured for me to take a seat on a peace of the brick wall of the basement, which I did, "A while back I lived in a humid desert, I had planned to get involved with the Interspecies Exchange Program but on the day I went to meet with the group that would pick me up I was kidnapped by a Succubus, I was stuck in a cell in her home for about a month, bored out of my mind sitting in a cell with nothing to do...She only kept me fed because she was milking venom from my stinger and needed to keep me alive." she stated sadly.

I bit my lip as I frowned, "I don't get it, what did she need your venom for?" I asked, trying to get to the bottom of this.

She lifted her head, looking me straight in the eyes, "Paralysis..." she stated, causing me to tilt my head, "The venom my kind produces is capable of paralyzing people, she uses it as an easy way to capture her victims...Which is illegal." she explained.

I nodded, "Ah, I see..."

"I guess you can say that the way she's treated me has also made me sour towards other Liminal as well..." she stated, "I know they aren't all like her, but i'm still recovering..."

Blinking, I debated whether or not there was anything that I could say to try and make her feel better, but the more I dug I had realized that it probably wouldn't help, she just needed time to get over it...

Her eyes widened as I approached her, putting a hand on her left shoulder, "Well...I hope that you can recover soon, it'd be a shame if you weren't able to make friends while you were here." I stated, giving her shoulder a pat before giving her some space.

Amira blinked, pausing for a moment as gears in her head started to turn, it was hard to make out but i think she had started blushing.

Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, I felt four 'arms' wrap around me as everything went black, but I could feel something warm and soft against my face, "Thank you Kuro-chan, i'm glad to hear that your so concerned." she purred, I could feel her right index finger run a circle along the back of my head, "Don't be so worried though, i'll get over it eventually."

Trying my best to keep my thoughts pure I tried my best to give a response and ignore the fact I was in the same position my mother had been in, "That's good, i'm glad that you're safe now." I stated in a muffled manner, my face turning blue as my oxygen supply started to fail me.

* * *

::: **Chapter End!** :::

Don't be fooled, Amira's technically not done yet. xD *I assume that's obvious*

Anyway, is this the last we'll hear of Amira's captor? Will there be any mention of her scorpion half in the next chapter? Likely, I mean come on, Amira's probably not going to fall in love with Kuroda unless he has no problem with the non-human half of her, right now he's just on Tease Base. xD

Anyway, I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter, I hope to see you all for another, and I hope you all have a wonderful day. :3


	8. Chapter 7

::: **WARNING!** :::

This chapter may be edited i the future, as it's current state is quite lacking in my opinion.

* * *

I let out a yawn as I descended the staircase, upon rounding the corner I was greeted by my mother at the table. Eventually Scilia and Minette joined us, which raised a question I had been wondering since the other day.

Staring at Minette, my right eyebrow rose, "Hey Minette, I just realized it but I didn't see you all day yesterday, what were you up to?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Minette blinked, pausing for a moment before grinning, "Weeell...~"

* * *

I stared ahead, mouth agape as I looked over the source of Minette's work. She had somehow made the 'game room' bigger, making it look like an actual gymnasium...Well, essentially it was an indoor basketball court, but what was shocking was the fact that the walls and ceiling looked complete, like it took more than a day, but I swear I would've remembered hearing the noise construction would produce.

Minette grinned proudly as I shot her a confused glance, "Minette...How did you do this!?" I asked, still in awe by her work.

Minette rubbed the back of her head, blushing, "Well, I went out with Kei-Chan when she needed an excuse to get out of the house the other day, I think you were showing Ami-Chan around when that happened." she explained, "I got to get a lot of supplies and stuff, and I started working while you were in your room."

I couldn't help but tilt my head to the left, recalling that my room was sound-proofed, but I had no clue it would be that effective, "Wait...I wasn't in my room all day, what about when I got lunch and made Mom talk with Amira?"

Minette scratched the back of her head, "Hmm...You mean when Kei-chan ran up the stairs while I was taking a break?" she asked, confused.

I couldn't help but pause, realizing just how...Situational this scenario was, but I wasn't in any position to question it. Shrugging it off, I decided it better to marvel at her abilities, "Well, regardless, this is pretty amazing, consider me impressed." I stated with a smile.

Minette grinned happily, her eyes sparkling as she pulled me into a tight hug, gaining a gasp out of me as I could feel her arms constricting me.

Minette's tail wagged as her cheek rubbed against mine, "I'm glad to hear that Darling, now we could play Basketball any time we want, isn't that gre-"

I blinked as her arms seemed to suddenly relax, her whole body twitching before she froze like a statue, "Ahem, sorry, but I feel that you're hugging him a little too tight." a familiar voice stated as I looked closer behind Minette's head to see a familiar sight.

"Can't...Move...Nggh!~" Minette's voice was strained, and it wasn't too surprising why give how her arms were being peeled away from me, causing me to fall into another inviting pair of arms, and giving me the chance to see Minette's arms having been placed at her sides delicately by a pair of pincers. Minette's face was one of frustration as she tried to move her paralyzed body, glaring at Amira, "H-Hey...W-What's the big idea?"

Amira chuckled cheekily as her right hand positioned itself over my left cheek, her fingers running against it, "Oh, I thought I just explained my reasoning dear, you were squeezing poor Kuro-Kun like one of those stress dolls." she stated teasingly, seemingly not as hostile towards Minette as she was Scilia.

Minette whined as she tried to move, having fallen onto her back, but she was having no luck, "Uuugh!~ That's not fair!~" she whined as Amira giggled, walking around her and carrying me away.

* * *

As we walked through the streets, I couldn't help but notice that pretty much everyone was staring at Amira, and most of the gazes were relatively fearful, although I couldn't really blame them given how her tail was swinging, almost like she was deliberately attracting attention towards herself.

I looked around, trying to ignored the gaze of the people, "Hey Amira, how did you manage to get me out of the house without Scilia finding out?" typically, she always seemed to know when Minette wanted to go somewhere, so I figured she'd try to stop Amira like she had done Minette.

Amira chuckled, "I paralyzed her before coming after you." she stated in a simple manner, making me wonder if this was going to become a routine of hers.

My head turned towards her position, "Alright, so where are we going?" I asked, "You got anywhere in mind?"

Amira nodded, "I need to get some clothes is all, is that an issue?"

I shook my head, "Nah, it's cool, I was just a little curious is all." I stated, realizing that my left arm was being held in her right pincer...Odd because I hadn't realized it up until now...Odder considering she was being so delicate with it, you would think it['d just be easier to use her human hand instead.

I had failed to notice that she was looking at me curiously, likely gauging my reaction, but when I shrugged, deciding to rather focus on not running into anyone, she seemed to smile.

* * *

"Ugh! He never hangs out with us anymore!~" Grace whined, sitting at a table in a food court. Ten and Nesun were there as well, casting a curious gaze at her as her face came to the table's surface.

Nesun chuckled, "Well, I guess it's not surprising." he admitted, "Why leave the house when you're surrounded by beauties?" he asked with a wink.

Much to both of their surprise Grace had launched herself into standing position before bringing her palms down on the table, glaring at Nesun, "What are you trying to say, pal?" she hissed, causing him to raise his hands defensively.

"Nothing! I mean, Scilia and Minette are just better than the average girl!" he stated, trying his best not to make it sound like he was insulting her.

Grace's right eyebrow raised as her cheeks puffed out, "You're not making things better for yourself, you know that right?" she asked in a blank tone, eventually sitting back down, her chin in her palms, "But I guess you're right, we're hardly competition since he's more of an indoors person anyway."

Nesun and Ten exchanged a glance before blinking, Ten then looked to Grace, "Are you...Jealous?" he asked in a hesitant manner.

Grace paused, "Of Kuroda? Hell yes, he's got **girls** dude!" she exclaimed, blushing as she did.

Nesun chuckled as Ten seemed surprised, assuming Ten had no clue that Grace pitched for the same team, "Well, it's like you said." he stated, drawing their attention, "The only chance we really have to hang out with him is if we went to his house instead of waiting for him to come to us-"

The two blinked as Nesun paused, causing their curiosity to rise, they then looked in the direction he was looking in and found themselves staring as well. Kuroda was walking with yet another Liminal, a Scorpion Girl dressed in a rather exotic manner.

The three watched as the two disappeared into a clothing shop, not capable of forming coherent thoughts until Grace's forehead struck the table, "He got **another**!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

* * *

I sneezed as we entered the clothing shop, swearing that I heard something that got mysteriously cut off as the door to the shop closed.

Amira blinked, looking at me with curiosity, "Hmm, you didn't catch a cold did you?" she asked in a sweet tone.

I shook my head, "Nah, I think someone was talking about me." I stated in a blank tone as I shoved my hands into my pockets, "Anyway, lets look around, that's what we came here for after all." I stated, passing her a slight smile.

With a nod, Amira led me through the isles, although I wish that she wouldn't given that I wasn't comfortable going through a section for woman's clothing.

I found it hard to not focus on exactly where we were, but I suppose this wasn't the most embarrassing situation I could be in, "You seem rather embarrassed, Kuro-Kun." Amira started, causing me to look to her face, "Is something wrong?"

I bit my lower lip as I looked away, "I don't typically enjoy walking into places like this..." I admitted, casting a glance at a section with undergarments.

Amira paused for a moment before laughing, "You really are too innocent, you know that?" as she stated this she flicked my forehead, causing me to stumble backwards, "They're just clothes, they won't hurt you."

I gave her a playful glare, realizing she was just messing with me, "Yeah, I got that."

Without further discussion, Amira went about looking for whatever she was looking for, I spent most of the time blocking out my environment.

As we went to pay for everything I couldn't help but realized that the cashier had shivered a little upon looking at Amira, who had raised an eyebrow at her. We payed for what little she had bought and on the way out I had decided to hold the door open due to the door nearly closing on her tail the first time we had entered.

Amira seemed to be rather happy about that, "Oh my, that was rather gentlemanly of you." she stated in a teasing manner as she went through.

I couldn't help but laugh a little at this statement, confusing her in the process, "I'm no gentleman, Amira." I stated in an honest tone, "but unlike some people I have a conscience, besides, I get the feeling you needed someone doing something good to get over the way those idiots were acting." I stated as I put my hands in my pockets.

A moment of silence passed as she stared at me, eventually leaning in with a smile, causing my face to heat up as she poked her index finger to my forehead, staring straight into my eyes, "You pass." she stated, causing me to blink as I contemplated what she meant. Realizing I had no idea what she was talking about, she smirked as her index finger slid down my face until it reached my chin, which she had used to lift my face a little, "I wanted to figure out just why those other two were so attached to you, sure you're a nice boy when you've been nice to them, but it looks like it's not all an act." she purred, "You're genuinely nice to them, even someone like me." she stated, nudging me with her pincers.

I looked away, realizing I was probably blushing like a drunk, "W-Why wouldn't I?" I asked, trying to keep my tone straight, "You guys just kinda seem like people that deserve it, besides, you guys treat me better than most Humans i've met." I stated, recalling the times I was bullied or ignored back in school.

Amira seemed to hum as she forced my head to turn back to her, as though she wanted to see what I meant, but eventually she let me go with a smile, "Hmm...Well then, I guess that's all." she stated, walking to my side as she turned me around with her pincer before taking my left hand in her right hand, "Let's head back Love, it'll be getting dark soon."

Upon registering the nickname I felt some of the color drain from my face, "L-Love?" I asked in a shell-shocked manner, "W-When was that on the table?"

Amira chuckled, using her left hand to cover her mouth, "When I decided you were fitting, besides, I don't see you resisting it." she stated in a teasing manner, causing me to realize that I was indeed holding her hand in a gentle way as if by instinct.

I could feel my head tilt, "W-Well, I guess i'm not opposed to it..." I admitted, feeling my face heat up once again.

Amira smirked, "Of course not, or we wouldn't be having this conversation."

With no flaw in this logic, the two of us started to walk, leaving me fearing what would happen if Scilia had seen us like this, but this also gave me time to really think about this, *I don't think i'm really opposed to any of the girls living with me...They're all beautiful, I like their personalities...* I thought to myself, finding it harder to focus on the walk, *If it weren't for that law...I have no clue where i'd be right now.* I realized in shock, astounded by the way the three girls treated me.

* * *

::: **Keiko's POV** :::

I let out a sigh of relief as I sunk into my chair, glad that my day of work was over. I had caught Kuroda and Amira returning home, I also had to deal with a paralyzed Minotaur and Scylla before that, leaving only one culprit...

Shaking my head, I looked towards the living room to see them all gathered there, which was an odd sight, apparently my son was attempting to smooth things over between Amira and the others, but Scilia still looked like she was ready to attack her, but Amira's tail was arched so I doubt she'd get the chance. Minette looked a little annoyed, but I don't think she had ill will towards her.

blinking, I watched as they seemed to come at least halfway towards an understanding, *Hmm...It looks like he's come some way with this...* I thought to myself, remembering what Michiyo had told me, causing me to bite my lower lip, still not entirely sure what to think of the situation.

Luckily, my thoughts were interrupted when my phone had began to ring.

I picked it up, answering it after seeing it was my sister's number, "Kimiko, what may I help you with?" I asked, putting a smile on my face as I awaited her voice from the other end.

"Sis?" she started, "Hey sis, you remember how you've got those Liminal staying with you?"

I blinked, wondering why she'd bring this up, "Why yes, why?"

I heard a sigh on the other end, "I take it you haven't done your homework." she stated in a disappointed tone, causing my face to return to it's usual, half-lidded expression, "Look, tomorrow's a full moon, do you work at night tomorrow?" she asked in a serious tone.

I took a moment to think about it, eventually nodding to myself, "Yes, why?" I asked, raising my left eyebrow with a growing fear rising inside me.

"...Kuro may be fucked...Literally..."

* * *

::: **Chapter End!** :::

I can't say i'm entirely happy with this chapter, but I couldn't figure out how to pull through it. x_x

So we got to learn that Minette was busy with her own private construction problem, suggesting that she's good at building stuff, and Amira found out whether or not she liked Kuroda, it may not be entirely what I was looking for in a chapter but I think it got the general idea of what I wanted down.

Anyway, as stated by Keiko's Sister a full moon is in the close future, which spells a sort of trouble for Kuroda.

I hope that you enjoyed, I also hope to see you in the next chapter! Until then, I hope you all have a wonderful day. :3


	9. Haywire Update 2!

Hey guys, long time no see.

I just wanted to drop by to tell you that i've been called in to help my friend out since they're working on a game, it's really important to them, but they're terrible at sprite art, so I need to help them out for now, at least until she has half of what she needs for a demo version.

I'm saying this because I don't want people to get confused as to why it's taking me so long to work on this upcoming chapter.

Rest assured, I will be continuing when I have the time, but presently things are rather chaotic for me, so I hope that I can return with a good chapter when possible.

Sorry for the inconvenience, I hope you all have a wonderful day.


	10. Chapter 8

**Enough of the delaying, I have FINALLY managed to get back to work on the chapter! Details will be saved for the end, so let's get it!~ xD**

* * *

::: **Keiko's POV** :::

I sat down at the table, phone to my ear, my eyes glancing outside as I waited for Michiyo to pick up the phone, "Hello?" she started.

I let out a sigh of relief, turning my gaze to the wall before me, "Michiyo, tonight's a full moon..." I stated, a straight tone to my voice.

There was a pause on the other end for a moment, "Why yes, there is...Why are you bringing that up?" she asked, seemingly forgetting one important detail.

Blinking, I took a moment to figure out exactly what I wanted to say, "It means that three girls infatuated with my son may try something..." I took a minute, hoping that would explain, but the resulting silence forced me to explain, "And I won't be around to stop them..." I stated sharply.

"Oh, so you work tonight...That's not good." Michiyo muttered.

I glared at the wall, imagining it had Michiyo's face, "Why no, no it isn't." I stated, "Which is why I need you to do something about it."

"Eh, what am I supposed to-" she started, stopping mid sentence. My eyebrow rose as I awaited her next words, "Actually, I may be able to arrange something."

Skeptical, I could only feel a hint of concern, "What exactly are you planning?" I didn't exactly trust the way she had stated things, I was also curious of what her solution to this issue was...Frankly, I wanted to see if I could have my son stay somewhere else for the night, but I wasn't completely sure if it was a good idea to leave the three girls unattended.

A chuckle came from the other end, "Oh, i'm sure you'll figure it out in the morning." she stated, "Don't worry, I may have some way to help."

I was silent for a moment before sighing, it was eight, I had to leave so there was nothing I could do to continue this conversation, "Alright...But let it be known that if anything happens to my son..." I stated slowly, a cold edge to my voice, "There will be consequences."

* * *

::: **Kuroda's POV** :::

I groaned as I layed back into the couch, Amira and Scilia still weren't exactly friends but I did manage to stop them from tearing into each other, *Ugh, why do I suddenly have a headache?* I wondered to myself, an exhausted frown on my face.

Amira must have noticed, "What's wrong Love?" she asked with a tone of concern.

Whether intentional or not, Scilia took notice of this immediately and glared daggers at Amira. "Love!?" she hissed, a hostile growl escaping her mouth.

Amira acknowledged her challenger, readying her pincers, an annoyed frown on her face, "Yes, Love, the nickname I picked out for our dear Kuroda." she stated in a matter of fact tone.

I groaned in annoyance, my head hanging low, *It's starting again...*

Just when I thought i'd have to pull them apart again I had heard a noise followed by two surprised yelps, much to my surprise Minette had bopped both of them over the head and was giving them a stern glare, "You guys are annoying Darling, would ya knock it off?" she asked with a tone of minor annoyance.

The two grumbled to themselves as they rubbed the bumps on their heads, I blinked, still surprised that it was Minette that did this...Honestly if any of them were to hurt the other I would've expected it from Amira given her hard pincers. With this we all heard a knock on the wall that drew our attention to the entrance of the house, Mom was standing halfway out the door looking at us with a look of concern, "I have to leave now, I want all of you to turn in within an hour, alright?" she asked, her left eyebrow raised.

Oddly enough, I noticed that she had seemed to be focusing more on Minette, making me wonder if she had noticed her bop the other two on the head.

Everyone tilted their head, me included, "Huh? Sure, I guess we can do that." I stated, still wondering what was going on.

The others seemed to have realized something, Scilia bit her lip as she nodded, Minette had nodded hastily, and Amira had taken her time to do so as well, "Uh, yeah, understood." they seemed to state together, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

With that Mom had nodded and walked out the door, an aura of concern still painting her surroundings.

When I turned my attention back to the girls I saw them throwing suspicious glances at each other, like they had absolutely no trust in the people they were around, which was a mix of annoying and confusing...What did they know that I didn't? Unable to take it anymore, I cleared my throat, "Uh...Anyone mind telling me what's going on?" I asked, genuinely confused by their behavior.

They all froze, silence falling over as they thought about it, the first to speak was Amira, "Actually...I'll be heading to bed." she stated, shooting an apologetic look at me, "We are to fall asleep early after all." with that she had shot a glare at the other two as she made her way to the hallway.

Scilia growled at her, "Yeah...Bed..." she stated, distracted by whatever thoughts were bouncing around inside of her head, lifting herself onto her wheelchair and following, "Good night Dear." she stated in a rather guarded manner.

Last was Minette, who seemed to be embarrassed about something, her cheeks turning a light pink as she nervously smiled, "Uh...I guess I should get to bed too, night Darling!~" she stated before leaving.

I was frozen in my chair, utterly confused by this turn of events, it wasn't like them to just disband like this...Well, Scilia and Minette anyway...Plus they never really tried to leave me alone, more like they stopped following me around when I was the one saying good night.

I looked around, not really sure what I could do for an hour, before eventually shrugging and heading up the stairs...Without the others there was pretty much no reason for me to be doing anything this late, except maybe doing stuff on the computer. True to this statement, I closed the door to my room, closed the blinds, and fired up the computer, sighing as I waited for everything to start loading.

* * *

::: **Scilia's POV** :::

I tossed and turned in the water, feeling uneasy about tonight, *I didn't even realize that tonight was a full moon, that seems like something I should be keeping track of...* I thought to myself.

I could feel the time for it to rise slowly drawing near, I could tell because my thoughts were slowly getting more and more scrambled as time went, the more focus I gave it the worse things were getting, and it wasn't even time for the effects to start kicking in...I really should be going to sleep, for Deary's sake...But...

I bit my lip as I thought about the others, *How can I be sure that they won't stay up and take advantage of my dear Kuroda?...With nobody awake to stop them they may try something behind my back!* I mentally hissed, my thoughts turning back towards my dear, *No, I have to stay awake to keep them away! I-I'll be fine, i'm committed!* I thought to myself, not realizing just how bad a decision this really was.

* * *

::: **Kuroda's POV** :::

I blinked as I looked out the window, staring at the full moon, it was a habit of mine for most my life. I hadn't realized there was a full moon tonight, but I had a calendar that tracked it on my computer so I figured i'd look up at it like always, for the moment at least.

I couldn't help but chuckle as memories came to me, "Heheh...It's beautiful." I stated, letting my sight linger a little longer before closing the blinds and returning to the computer, my intentions? I was probably going to type up a short story, watch videos, or listen to mus-

My thoughts were interrupted when a knock came to my door, I could hear a faint whine, "D-Deary...Can I talk with you?"

I blinked in confusion, it was clearly Scilia at the door...Did she want to talk about whatever was on her mind earlier? I slowly approached the door, subconsciously wondering why she wasn't asleep, "Sure, come i-"

Interrupted again, I felt something slam into me, forcing me to stumble backwards until I fell back into the chair in front off my computer. Slowly I processed the situation, Scilia was still in her pajamas, on top of me, staring into my eyes...There was something off about her eyes, but I couldn't quite put a finger on it until I felt something soft pressing against my crotch, gasping as her tentacles wrapped around my hips, forcing this softness to press onto my hips. Speechless, I stuttered as I tried fighting the urge to 'grow' that was threatening to make my pants tighter, I looked back at Scilia's face, her cheeks were tinted a mix of red and pink, the look in her eyes had morphed into a mixture of lust and longing that caused me to gulp as I tried to figure out what had happened to make Scilia suddenly become this bold...Not that she wasn't already...

Her hands slowly rose, tenderly clutching my shoulders, "Deary...I was trying to sleep...But I couldn't..." she started, her ears drooping a little, a desperate whine to her voice, "I kept thinking about us...But then I thought about you and **them**..." she stated, putting emphasis on them. I could feel my cheeks burning as her face stopped a mere inch away from my own, "Deary...How do you feel about Amira and Minette? Do you...Like them?" she asked in a pleading manner.

As I tried to formulate an answer I realized that she was now giving me a type of look I wasn't familiar with...It was like puppy-dog eyes meets bedroom eyes.

Biting my lip, I tried my best to respond, a nervous smile on my face, "W-Well...I-I don't know, I mean, you're all nice, you know?" I asked awkwardly, sweat starting to form as I could no longer fight the growth in my pants, which was or wasn't helping the situation, frankly it was becoming **harder** to tell...Dammit, now isn't the time for puns!

Apparently, registering what was now rubbing against her, a mischievous glint in her eyes, she smiled as she pressed even closer to me, forcing me to bite my lip a little harder as I resisted the urge to wrap my arms around her, "And what about me?"

I had tried to come u with some kind of coherent response when I had noticed she had started to unbutton her pajamas, she pulled them off with more haste than i'd expect from her, "U-Uh...I...I..." I could feel my brain shutting down as her fingers traced my chest down to the rim of my shirt, her chest pressed against mine as one of her hands slid below the rim, her fingers sliding under my pants and underwear. It felt like steam was erupting from my ears, I tried my best to resist for both of our sakes, my right hand taking her wrist, "U-Uh hey, w-we shouldn't! I-I mean what if we wake the othe-" I started, trying my best to make an excuse to deny her sexual advances.

I didn't get to finish this excuse as her right index finger pressed against my lips, forcing me into silence, "Shhh..." her face drew closer, I could feel her nose against my right cheek, "There's no others...Just ' **us** '..." she whispered seductively into my ear, following this by licking my cheek.

It felt like my face was on fire, before I knew it what little restraint I had over my lower half was lost as I became fully erect, causing me to realize that slowly I was caring a little less about the law. Slowly, my hands started to run up her back, I wasn't thinking straight enough to stop them, but luckily I didn't have to.

The door to my room had flung open, causing me to regain at least a little of my senses as Scilia turned to face this intruder. Glowing, grey eyes penetrated the shadow over her face, Amira stood in the doorway, something off about her as well...That's when I realized that both of them had a more...Feral aura. Without warning, I barely managed to move my shoulder enough to avoid a stinger that tore into the surface of my chair, Scilia had let out some kind of roar as she launched herself at Amira, their hands locked as they glared at each other, Amira tried to use her pincers but Scilia's tentacles had bound them tightly, with her increased reflexes, she dodged another attempt to sting her and took a hold of Amira's tail with one of her free 'legs'.

I watched in a mix of confusion, fear, and awe as the two struggled to gain dominance of the situation. Amira hissed amidst the situation, glaring straight into Scilia's eyes, "I knew I couldn't trust you! Trying to take advantage of the full moon!" she spat, venom dripping from her tone.

Scilia glared back, an expression of pure rage, "Look who's talking, you're the reason I stayed up!" she growled.

Just when it looked like she was going to try and bite at Amira's face the scorpion girl had leaned back, Scilia's teeth had bit into Amira's top, which was torn off with the bite. Realizing how dangerous Scilia's bite probably was, I was about to get up and try to stop them when I saw a shadow from behind them, before I could completely figure out the situation I leaned back from shock as I heard a loud noise, watching the both of them collapse, Minette standing victoriously over them. I stared up at her with a concerned expression, given how loud the noise from her knocking them out was I assumed she had put much more force into knocking them out, I couldn't really make out her expression from here, but at the same time I kinda wanted to check on the others.

No such luck...

As I attempted to stand up I found myself in a bear hug, my teeth clenched as my fingers twitched, my chest caught between Minette's large endowments and her powerful arms, she was smiling but I on the other hand was focusing on the vague cracking noise coming from my back. Minette's cheek rubbed against mine, seemingly ignorant of the strain that she was putting me through, "Oh Darling, I knew it was a good idea to stay up!" she stated in an almost slurred manner, "Minette knew she'd have to be there to come to Darling's rescue!~"

Her grip tightened, almost taking the breath out of my lungs, "Y-Yeah, thanks b-but your'e crushing me!" I croaked, trying to pry myself free. Realizing what she was doing, she blinked in confusion before dropping me, I coughed as I struggled to regain my breath, *This isn't good, whatever has gotten into them is dangerous!* I mentally hissed, looking up I quickly realized that Minette was in her sleeping attire...I other words, her white undergarments...

I could feel a little blood run down from my nostril as I could feel my brain twitch, Minette wore an oblivious smile as she knelt down in front of me, "Darling's bleeding?" before I could say anything I quickly found myself being lifted and slammed down onto my bed. I would've wondered how it didn't break but I was a little distracted by the Minotaur that was hovering over my body, Her large breasts pressed against my frame, giving me an idea of just how much mass was behind them. Minette's cheeks were a bright pink, her eyes shimmered as she stared down at me, a smile on her face, "Don't worry Darling, Minette will make it all better!~"

Any fantasy roaming my scattered brain was suddenly crushed when I heard the creaking of med bed's frame, I quickly realized that in this state of mind she'd probably smash me, and not in the good way. Arousal suddenly replaced with fear, I tried to think of a way out of this situation, I gasped as I felt a sudden force, looking down to see that Minette had literally ripped my pants off with her hands, leaving me in my shirt and underwear.

In a panic, I lifted my palms up defensively, "M-Minette, w-wait a second!" I pleaded, trying my best to stop this before I could end up crushed.

Minette's head tilted as she lowered her wait onto my hips, her waist grinding into mine as she leaned towards me, causing me to end up taking handfuls of her breasts into the palms that were supposed to be my shields, "What's wrong Darling?" she asked, probably confused as to why I was stopping her, but seemingly agreeing to stop due to the treatment my hands were giving her, causing her to moan a little in the process.

I bit my lip as I tried fighting the pressure against my lower half, though my hands were beyond my control at this point, I tried to figure out some way out of this that didn't involve my bones getting flattened while also fighting the thoughts through my head...This was the closest I had been to a woman, there was literally only two layers of clothe between our nethers...But this was too dangerous, I had to get out of this situation before she-

My planning was cut off with Minette suddenly flinched, her body suddenly started to fall forwards, burying me under her body, given that her hips were aligned with mine this essentially meant her breasts were suffocating me, but her whole weight was also against me, putting strain on my body, but more importantly, my ribs. My fight for air was suddenly brought to an end when I saw my savior, Amira slowly pulled the paralyzed Minotaur off my body, lifting me into her arms before taking off with me out the door to my room.

I fought the urge to stare at her bare breasts, not realizing that Scilia's bite had ripped off that much clothing, "U-Uh, thanks Amira, you're a life-saver, but shouldn't you be worried about your clothes?" I asked, realizing that I was being carried in a bridal fashion.

The Girtabliu in question purred, "Oh, I don't mind.~" with that she had bounced me a little, forcing my legs to part as her breasts flooded my lap, "Don't worry Love, i'm going to take you somewhere safe.~" she stated in a seductive manner, her eyes almost hypnotically attracting mine.

I quickly realized that we were now in the basement when she had let me down, I looked up at her body, shaded by the fact...Well, it was the basement...It was dark...Yet her hypnotic, grey eyes stuck out in the dark as though they were glowing. As I was focused on her eyes I had failed to notice them growing closer, her face pressed to mine as she forced me onto her back, forcing me into a kiss and aligning us perfectly, her arms wrapped around me as she picked me up in the same swooping manner that she had put me down, essentially making me stand up in front of her as she progressed forward, pressing my back to a wall, our lips parting in that moment.

I blinked, blushing furiously as I stared into her eyes, enticed not only by her gaze but the contact she was exerting on me, "A-Amira..." I started, trying to think of something to say, but as she giggled my brain went blank again.

Her fingers laced with mine as she pulled me away from the wall, her pincers hugging my waist to hers, but with the state I was presently in I hardly cared that I only really had my underwear to protect both of our chastity, "Love...You've done well in keeping yourself safe for me.~" she purred, "Now that those fools are away there will be nobody around to interrupt us..." she whispered enticingly into my ear, "Shall we dance?"

I bit my lip, suddenly realizing that my body didn't care about my brain's judgement any longer as she forced my light-headed 'corpse' to dance with her. I recognized that 'dancing' had something to do with courtship when it came to Scorpions, who would've guessed Girtabliu had a similar ritual.

My contemplation of this was brought to an end as she forced me to the ground, but my trance ended when Amira showed just how eager she was to get started, one of her pincers cleaving through my shirt and leaving a shallow scratch across my chest, causing me to remember that I was still technically in danger. Amira didn't seem to notice or care about the wound she had inflicted, I on the other hand was not too thrilled.

I raised my hands defensively again, "H-Hey, Amira, wait! If we do this then-!?" I started, trying my best to talk some sense into her.

Before I could finish, Amira's eyes widened and she released an adorable yelp before slowly swaying a little, I blinked in confusion before catching her, her eyes closing as she fell asleep in my arms, leaving me in a state of confusion.

As I looked up, I saw an unfamiliar figure at the staircase, standing behind the needle sticking out of Amira's left shoulder. I squinted my eyes but couldn't make out anything but a pale, almost silver face under the figures black hood, their eyes hidden in it's shadows. I couldn't tell anything else, they were wearing a pitch-black cloak that hid pretty much everything, they had also been holding some kind of gun, that's when I realized that the needle i Amira's shoulder was actually a tranquilizing dart.

Before I could say anything the figure slowly backed away out of my visual range, I could hear them mach up the stairs before the noise was completely gone.

I blinked in confusion, unsure of what to do now...*What the hell happened tonight?* I wondered in a genuinely perplexed manner, unconsciously running my hand through Amira's hair while my other hand pulled the dart out of her shoulder. Slowly pulling myself out from under Amira, I struggled to get to my feet, my everything feeling numb by this point.

I brought my hand to my lips, feeling the place where Amira had kissed me, simultaneously making me realize just what had been going on...I sighed before slowly doing my best to carry Amira to her bed.

As I dragged myself up thew stairs I saw something that frankly astonished me, standing on what was almost the final step was the person that had managed to stop Amira, but they were doing something that was frankly inhuman...They had tied Scilia to Minette, the way this mysterious person was lifting them was like the way Atlas would lift Earth. I stared with a mix of shock and surprise, "Who...Who are you?" I asked, frankly wanting to put an end to the madness that was tonight.

The figure was silent, not even breathing, but as their head lifted a little I saw a glowing, green eye pierce the darkness of their hood, "..."

The figure didn't talk, they just finished walking down the flight before dumping Minette and Scilia onto the couch in the living room, in the moonlight I had noticed tranquilizers in both of the girl's backs. The figure then turned back towards me, walking towards me only to take an immediate turn at the door, which they opened without delay and strolled out, letting the wind close it for them.

I wasn't sure what to think, but I did know one thing...

"I'm too tired for this shit..." I muttered to myself, my face in my hand as I slowly dragged myself up the stairs.

* * *

::: **Unknown POV** :::

As I began my walk back to headquarters I reached into my cloak, pulling out the phone I was provided, dialing the number before placing it to my ear. Within moments I was connected, "Hello? Rie? Is that you?" Michiyo-san's voice asked.

I unconsciously nodded, "Yes...I have taken care of the Kazuma Incident, the girls are all incapacitated..." I stated, "Kazuma-San's chastity should be intact, the girls do not appear to have lost their innocence."

Michiyo sighed with relief, "Ah, that's good, did you run into trouble? I was expecting you to have finished this matter a little sooner."

I blinked, tilting my head slightly, "I was watching." there was a pause followed by a small 'what?' on the other end, "It was funny, so I watched." I stated with a small smile, "I would have intervened sooner if things went an illegal route, but it wasn't needed, Kazuma-San handled them excellently until they knocked each other out, leaving me only one to deal with."

Michiyo paused for a minute before sighing, "Geez...And Keiko was so hot and bothered about it, he was fine!" she stated in complaint.

I blinked, "Do not delude yourself, Kazuma-San was a pushover."

I heard a crash on the other end, which was likely Michiyo leaning too far back in her chair and collapsing.

* * *

::: **Chapter End!** :::

It's here!~ xD

Anyway, let me explain things. Essentially my friend stopped wanting to work on sprites, so she's just gonna look for a sprite artist, but what REALLY stopped me from working was a friend that made me watch Fairy Tail, getting me hooked on the series and flooding me with ideas, X_X

Anyway, it's finally here, I hope that you all enjoyed it. :3


	11. Chapter 9

**This chapter has been edited from it's previous form, reviews may not match up with current corrections!**

* * *

It was a few days after the 'Full Moon Incident' that happened in my house, I was presently hanging out with my friends, sitting at the same table in a cafe. I had essentially decided it was time to give these guys some time to hang out since I was their friend after all, luckily Grace and Nesun seemed happy enough to meet me here, but Ten got left out, apparently he had a mess to clean up, which I didn't want to know anything about.

I turned my head as Grace let out a groan, "Daaaaamn...It feels like we haven't met up like this in ages!" she stated, much to the displeasure of those at the tables around us.

I couldn't help but chuckle as she stretched, "Yeah, sorry, but i've been busy." I stated, trying my best to sound apologetic. It made me realize just how much of my time was devoted to my life at home now...Not that it was a bad thing, i'd say this is one of the better things that's happened to me...Well, aside from almost dying last night...

Grace pouted as she glared at me, "Yeah, we've noticed Lady Killer..." she stated in a frustrated tone.

Nesun, finally joining the conversation, chuckled, "Come on Grace, this is a good thing!" he stated, bringing a hand down on my left shoulder, "Our Lil' Kuro-Chan's growing up so fast!~" he stated in a teasing manner, attracting odd glances from other customers.

I could feel myself shrinking in my seat as my two friends started laughing, "Please stop, it's been forever since you had to embarrass me like this, why start doing it now?" I asked in a strained manner, eventually looking away with a sigh, "Geez, you guys now and the girls a few nights back, it's like everyone I know's out to get me all of a sudden..." I muttered, hoping nobody had heard that.

Unfortunately they stopped laughing and stared with bright red faces as they let their imagination wander, "Night?" they asked quietly.

I shot them both a sharp glance, "Down pervs!" I hissed, "That's illegal!"

"What's illegal?" a rough voice asked, causing us to turn our attention to the source.

The girl standing at the side of the table was drawing glances from pretty much everyone, she stood at least seven feet tall and projected a sort of aura that the average person wouldn't want to be around, her tanned, athletic body would make her seem like an outsider to our little group, her long, black hair didn't shine, likely obscured by grease, but her purple highlights managed to stand out a little, her dark green eyes seemed focused on Nesun, it was hard to tell what was going on behind those eyes, but whatever it was made Nesun shake under their gaze, three silver studs were embedded in her right eyebrow, nowhere else was pierced likely because she didn't care for having more, she wore a white, baggy shirt that hid a lot about her figure, over this was a black jacket that she wore with pride, unbuttoned, her nails were painted black with purple dots in the center, she wore a knee-length skirt that was so dark it was almost black, but whether you believe it or not it was actually a really dark blue, finally, she wore black boots that were buckled tightly to her legs.

Grace grinned widely, "Zaria? Well, looks like everyone's here for a change."

The 'Delinquent' Girl, Zaria, continued to glare at Nesun, "You're in my spot..." she growled quietly.

The response was almost immediate, Nesun sprung from the chair next to me to the chair across from me, Grace laughed at him as Zaria plopped down onto the seat, propping her right leg over the left one with a sigh off frustration as her large knee struck the bottom of the table on accident.

I cleared my throat as I looked to the newcomer, "Hey Zaria, long time no see." I was quiet, namely because I wasn't really able to read her that well.

Zaria looked to me, her arms crossed over her chest, "Yeah, I noticed..." she stated with an annoyed tone, "You haven't been online in ages."

Believe it or not, this beast of a girl was someone I knew through gaming...We had been in the same guild for about a year and accidentally bumped into each other in real life, where she threatened to pulverize me if I ever let anything she told me online slide...Given her nickname, 'Wendigo', I wasn't about to chance that she wouldn't make good on her threats. Slowly me and Grace managed to convince her to hang out with us and stop being a complete loner, but this did mean having to maintain a type of tact in the rare moments that she was here, especially thanks to her anger issues.

I flinched, "Well, i've been busy." I stated, looking for an excuse, plus I had done so much stuff in the game that I wanted to take a break, but I don't know how well that'd go over with her, "My family's apart of the Cultural Exchange now, so I haven't had much time for myself." I admitted, hoping she wouldn't get upset with that.

Zaria sighed, "Liminals everywhere..." she stated with a frustrated groan, causing us all to tilt her head, she never really came off as racist before so we weren't sure what she meant. She eventually crossed her arms on the table and rested her chin in them, "My dad went off on a diving trip and met a Shark Girl, I don't think he's comin' back..." she stated in an annoyed tone.

Nesun blinked, "I don't know, aren't they in the Exchange Program too?"

Zaria shot him a confused look, "My Mom found out, who said anything about the Liminal hurting him?" all three of us subconsciously shivered, each knowing the terror that this girl spawned from.

Nesun nodded, "Yup, he's dead..."

Grace bowed, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Zaria shrugged, "Someone's gotta..." she stated nonchalantly, not seeming to care about this turn of events.

After a moment of silence Nesun looked to me, leaning against the wall next to him with a curious gaze, "Not that it really matters, but why aren't the girls with you?" he asked, drawing Grace and Zaria's attention.

I could feel the color drain from my face, "Eh, Mom asked them to give me some space for a few days, besides, I haven't hung out with you guys in forever so I kinda felt bad for you." I stated with a straight face.

Nesun and Grace leaned back, shock on their expression, "Felt bad for us!?" they asked in unison with a mix of confusion and disbelief, Zaria on the other hand had just shrugged.

"If it makes you feel any better I feel sorry for you two every day..." she admitted casually, causing the two of them to facedesk, also causing me to feel slightly worse for them.

* * *

:: **Later** ::

We had left the cafe, essentially having been there for an hour or so, we had basically decided it was about time to be heading back home. Grace and Nesun lived in generally the same neighborhood so I and Zaria watched her cross the road, Nesun waved as they went, "It was fun hanging out today, see ya around clown!"

Grace, Zaria, and I all internally groaned at this, but I couldn't help but chuckle a little, "Odd seeing as I have more game than you..." I muttered quietly as I watched them blend into the crowds of people on the other side.

I looked to Zaria, who was looking at me with her left eyebrow raised, her hands in her pockets, "'Game'?" she asked in a questioning tone. I flinched, before I could defend myself she turned to me, but oddly enough she didn't seem pissed, "You like them?" she asked in a curious manner.

Realizing I wasn't in any kind of danger, I cleared my throat, "Well...I can't say I don't, but...You know." I stated, hoping she knew about the bill's restrictions.

She blinked for a moment before shrugging, "That's gotta suck...Still, I didn't take you for the forbidden love type of guy..." her face then went blank, "Or someone to like multiple people at the same time..."

I bit my lip, it was true that this wasn't exactly 'pure'...But can you really blame me?

I shrugged, "Eh, it's not like it matters...Humans and Liminal can't get married, so liking is as far as it goes for me." I stated, deciding to stay true to my vow, "Besides, i'd rather not go to jail or get a loved one deported." I added, reminded that there were two reasons to avoid temptations.

"Hm..." Zaria stared at me as if trying to figure out what was going through my mind, but eventually she sighed and gave up.

We started walking together since we had to go the same way, but eventually we noticed something that made us freeze. There was a group of three walking, this group consisted of one man and two Liminal.

The man had short, black hair that seemed a little messy, it also looked kinda blueish to me, a troubled expression on his light skin, his light brown eyes were actually empty circles at the moment, He was wearing a green jacket (Not sure what else to call it! X_X) over a black shirt, green pants, and blue? shoes. Following him was a petite girl, obviously of Harpy descent, with short, messy, light blue hair, with a strand that stuck out, her eyes were orange, her light skin was covered by a white top, her greenish shorts were cut a little too short in my opinion, her 'arms' were covered in light blue feathers that matched her hair, and her legs were rather bird-like.

But the last one was the one that was the most surprising...The last girl was a Slime, something I had only read about. She was about the size of the man, her 'skin' was a blueish color that stuck out, her 'hair' was a dark, blueish-green color with the tips ending in a more yellowish color, her emerald-green eyes looked rather nice in the light, she was wearing a raincoat and water-proof boots...It made sense giving it a second thought.

We waited as this group passed and managed to go without being noticed, I blinked, "That...Was a Slime, right?" I asked, confusion clear on my expression.

Zaria watched them, her head cocking to the left, "Another one?" she asked in a confused manner, I shot her a confused glance, "I know that guy, he lives not too far from my place, but last I saw he had a Lamia, Harpy, and Centaur at his heels." she explained, "Guess he picked up another." she stated with a shrug.

I blinked as I looked back to the group, tilting my head a little as I watched them vanish down the street, "Huh...He sounds like a cool guy..." feeling something click in my brain, I scratched the back of my head, "I swear I heard of someone like that before, maybe that was the same guy?" I asked myself quietly.

Zaria grunted, "Beats me, but I gotta go that way." she stated as she started to turn, "See ya around..." she stated, a calm tone and a wave over her shoulder signalling that she was out.

I watched her for a moment or two before deciding I should probably get home.

As I made my trip there I couldn't help but think back to that guy, our situation seemed pretty similar...It kinda made me wonder if he went through the same thing I did the other night. Interested by the prospect of having a kindred spirit, I failed to notice a familiar aura encroaching on my position.

"Yo!" a voice shouted in my ear, causing me to launch forwards and turn to see Hamano, who was laughing at my reaction, "Hehehe, looks like I still got it." she stated with an apologetic wink.

I couldn't help but glare at her, my right cheek puffing up, "You aren't funny..." I stated with an annoyed tone.

As I turned and continued walking in the direction of home Hamano jogged to catch up with me, walking next to me, chuckling like the smug agent she was, "Sorry, sorry, i'm just having a little fun Kuro-chan." she stated in a more natural tone, "In all honesty i'm quite surprised to find you outside, what brings you out on a day like this?"

I shot her a glance, "I could ask you the same thing, i'm guessing you have business with us so why didn't you drive?" I asked, my left eyebrow raised.

Hamano flinched, immediately afterwords she cleared her throat, "Well...I actually hitched a ride from a coo-worker who's waiting for the host she's supposed to be meeting with." she stated.

Now I felt a little concerned, "...D-Don't you have your own car?" I asked, not sure what to think of this information.

Hamano raised a finger to the air, "...You See-"

* * *

::: **Past Hamano POV** :::

I chuckled as I watched Rie interact with MON, she was still a new recruit so her interaction with everyone involved was...Limited. I was sitting in the driver side of my car, it wasn't long before I was supposed to head to the Kazuma Residence to give them the news that Keiko was likely withholding.

"Hmm...I wonder what Smith's up to right about now..." I wondered to myself, realizing I hadn't seen my coworker the whole afternoon.

"Why not ask her yourself?" a familiar voice asked, making me jump as I looked over to see an intruder in the passenger's seat, sure enough Smith had managed to sneak in, and was now chuckling at my reaction. Regaining my composure, I straightened my posture as I offered her a smile, "Ah, Smith, how'd you sneak into my car?" I asked, my expression going blank.

"I was taking a break." she stated, giving me a thumb's up, winking behind her shades.

I could feel my shoulders slump, "That doesn't answer my questi-"

Before I could try getting my answers our attention was snatched away with a loud noise and the sudden impact of something with the hood of my car, hitting it with enough force to embed said 'object'.

We both blinked in confusion, sitting up to see Zombina sitting up in the crater that was once the front of my vehicle, rubbing the back of her head, "Man, someone get the number of that-" whatever she was about to say was cut short when she realized where she was and who was watching her, we shared a moment as we stared at each other before she waved a hand, "H-Hold on, I know what you're thinking and it's not my fault this time!" she exclaimed, pointing at the place she had apparently flew from, "It was Rie, she-"

The Zombie in question gasped when she realized that the girl was no longer there, essentially leaving her hanging to take the blame.

Smith and I both blinked in unison as I tried my best to contain the building urge to scream.

* * *

::: **Kuroda Present POV** :::

"-and that's what happened." she stated, snapping her fingers as if to emphasize the point.

I blinked, "So what you're saying is that this 'Rie' girl had hit a Zombie so hard she essentially demolished your car?" I asked, not sure I really got the story right.

Hamano sighed, "Well, that's the story, but we're still not sure..." she stated, "Apparently Zombina had thought it would be hilarious to scare the new girl and ended up on the receiving end of Rie's fist."

My brain tried imagining the situation to the best of it's capacity, in all honesty it made me wonder just what kind of chaos happened at her workplace. I then shook my head, "Wait, so why are you walking to my house again?" I asked, getting back on track.

Hamano chuckled, "Oh, you'll see Kuro-chan." she stated in an ominous manner, sending a shiver down my spine.

* * *

Another chapter!

Geez, this time the wait wasn't so long, eh? xD

Joking aside, I felt there needed to be a chapter to calm down after the events of the prior one, plus I needed to introduce Zaria. Also we got to see Kurusu for the first time, fun, eh? :D

Anyway, next time the rumored amendment of the bill will be dropped and there maaaaaay be a new Liminal to meet...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, I hope this chapter doesn't seem lazy, and I hope to see you for the next one!~ :D


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